Leaf's Emblem
by ninjafan101
Summary: Naruto has been chosen as the leader of Heaven's Army, and must fight against the evil forces of Lord Daimon and his allies. With new challenges, friendships, romances and abilities, this is sure to be something he'd never expect! FireEmblem elements
1. Arc 1 Chap 1: Beginnings

**Plight of the Leaf Chap. 1**

He ran through the dusty streets, his life in jeopardy once more. The crowd was dangerously armed this time around, and he knew that they would kill him had they the slightest chance. He wasn't going to give it to them though. There was still too many important things he had to do with his life before he could let himself die here. Rounding the coming corner, he continued his escape from his pursuers.

He found himself unable to look back to check if they were still following himself. He was too afraid of what would happen – or of what he would see – if he did so. It was only a few days ago that he found out why the villagers hated him so much: it was because he was sealed with the demon Kyuubi only several days after he was born. He was an orphan, never knowing the love of a parent. Now that he thought about it, he never knew _any _kind of love. To him, he was fate's favorite whipping boy.

However, fate seemed to be giving him a break as he saw his apartment building within reach. With a relieved sigh, he quickly scaled the large building in a matter of seconds and unlocked the door to his own apartment. He shut it behind him with a heavy slam. He wiped the beads of sweat from his brow and forehead, then tossed his back pack from his shoulders. It landed on the hardwood floor with a small thud, hardly audible to anyone.

After making sure that the mob chasing him was long gone, he looked at his apartment. It was small, but cozy. He sat on his couch in the living room and let out a breath he had been subconsciously holding. He loathed days like today. He wondered to himself: What would they do if they knew about his _real_ powers? He remembered that day fondly, and probably would for the rest of his life.

(Several Days Prior)

Great. This was just perfect. He knew that he was in some deep trouble now. Apparently, even some of the ANBU and higher Jonin detested him to the point of wanting him dead, as five of these high ranked shinobi stood in front of him with killing intent leaking from them. He felt himself stepping back from them, knowing that any confrontation will lead to his death.

"Please, just leave me alone!" he pleaded.

"That's what we said when you brutally destroyed our village twelve years ago, demon! Now, prepare to die!" one man said. He braced himself for the worse as the man charged at him with a katana drawn. Just as the blade came towards his chest, a new sword countered it, knocking it from its owner's grip. The startled Jonin didn't have time to even blink as a fist came into contact with his cheek, sending him down across the street. The young boy and his assailants looked at the newcomer with curiosity evident in their gaze.

"To think, the people I grew up with have sunk so low. Attacking innocent children over something they have no say in is a deplorable act of cowardice that I never thought Konoha was possible of." he said. He seemed no older than fifteen. He had spiky black hair and obsidian eyes, though it was difficult to tell past his tinted goggles. He wore a black jacket with an orange undershirt. The zipper and hem of the fabric was highlighted in orange. To finish the look, he had black cargo pants and a leather belt around his waist.

"Who are you?" one of the men asked.

"That doesn't really concern you. However, I cannot allow you to kill this boy. The fate of the world lies with him." the mysterious boy said. The older men laughed at the idea. The fate of the world with the demon? Might as well kill them all now! It would make cleaning the mess a little easier. They stopped laughing long enough to see that he was serious.

"You're just one kid! What are you going to do against five high rank ninja?" one ANBU asked. The boy gave a knowing smirk.

"Okay, now guys!" he shouted. In a flash, two more people appeared. One was a young girl, around fourteen, with short light brown hair and brown eyes. She wore a black shirt and shorts, with a tan Chinese dress around her waist. She also had black knee high boots. Her most striking feature, however, were the two purple marks on her cheeks.

The other, a boy about thirteen, had spiky, dirty blonde hair and deep brown, almost black, eyes. He wore a teal tunic with black shorts and leather battle gloves. A light blue cape was draped around his shoulders, reaching the back of his knees.

"What the? Where did these guys come from?" one of the Jonin questioned.

"Too bad you'll never find out! **Raiton: Ikazuchi Dageki! (Lightning Style: Thunder Strike)**" the girl said. A small, condensed orb of lightning cackled to life in her hands. She threw it at the shinobi in front of her, knocking two of them unconscious. The other three went to attack her, but the cloaked boy blocked them.

"Sayonara! **Kijutsu: Gekido Kaze! (Magic: Raging Wind)**" he called. A strong, raging tempest sent the three spiraling into the air. The last boy appeared above them.

"**Katon: Dai Endan! (Fire Style: Great Fireball)**" he called. A gigantic ball of flames were ejected from his mouth and propelled the three back down to the ground. Naruto watched in awe at their performance. These three were no pushovers, that was for sure. As he mused, he realized that the three were likely going to kill those shinobi. Even though they hated him, he wouldn't allow _anyone_ to die because of him. Putting his hands into his signature seal, he summoned his chakra.

"**Kage Bushin no Jutsu! (Shadow Clone Technique)**" he called. In a cloud of vapor, two clones of him appeared. Without even ordering them, they jumped in front of the two shinobi on the ground. Before they could stop, their techniques were already launched, and they watched with wide eyes as the two clones were wiped from existed. The original appeared in front of the airborne fire user, blocking his view of the three adults.

"What are you doing? Get out of the way! We're trying to save you!" he said.

"I won't have any person die because of me! If I'm going to be Hokage someday, it's my duty to protect the people of Konoha, even if they despise me!" the boy retorted. The two landed on their feet across from one another. He kept his guard up, knowing that he could soon be in a three-on-one battle. Then, to his surprise, the three young warriors began to smile. What the hell was there to smile about?

"I knew it. You have to be Minato's son. You share his virtuous nature. Uzumaki Naruto, right? Or should I say, Namikaze Naruto." the fire user said. Naruto looked at him confused.

"What are you talking about? My last name is Uzumaki, not Namikaze!" he said.

"That's kinda true, but not really. Uzumaki was your mother's surname, but Namikaze was your father's. You took your mother's name so that way you wouldn't be attacked by your father's enemies. Believe me, he made plenty during the Third Great Shinobi War." the boy said. Naruto looked at him with a questioning glare. Was this guy trying to taunt him, making up stories about his deceased relatives? If so, the boy was going to get such a beat down.

"How would you know this stuff anyway? My parents are dead." Naruto said.

"How else? I was your father's student, as was Hatake Kakashi and Haruno Rin, who's right behind you. My name is Uchiha Obito, and the little guy is Senju Nawaki." he said. To say Naruto was surprised was sugarcoating it. He was speechless. These three people were supposedly dead! He remembered seeing their names on the Memorial Stone outside the village.

"B-But that can't be true! I saw your names on the Memorial Stone! How can you be here if you're dead?" the blonde asked in a panic. Ghosts were never his forte, something that he found ironic considering the thousand year old fox spirit that he held captive within him.

"Ah, but it is. You see, we were assigned to protect you, since you are a key component in defeating Lord Daimon and his minions." Obito said. He had to prevent himself from gritting his teeth anger, something he was failing at horribly.

"Lord Daimon? Who is that?" Naruto asked.

"He's a truly evil man. He wants to conquer the world and warp it to his own twisted ambition. He doesn't care about the welfare of the people, just power and money. Hell, he's killed innocent citizens just to steal the money they might have had. The worse part is that he actually has the power to do so, and has gathered all kinds of rogue shinobi to work for him, being promised a seat of power in his new world order." Rin explained.

"Yeah. Even the Holy Guard has trouble against the man. He's an extremely powerful master of dark magic, as well as an accomplished swordsman. We had to find someone who would be strong enough to fight him, and also be able to lead the people in battle. You've proven to us that you're capable of doing that." Nawaki said.

"So, you guys want me, a mere Genin and the village idiot, to lead an army of warriors against an evil entity for the sake of the world's safety?" Naruto asked.

"Pretty much." Obito replied. The young blonde looked at them all as if they were on drugs. They laughed at his reaction, something he didn't particularly find proper.

"Relax, man. That battle is still a long way off. We're here to help you get stronger – and maybe bash a few heads in while we're at it." the young Uchiha said.

"Besides, you'll probably meet other members of the Holy Guard soon enough. It's only customary for a commander to know his subordinates, right?" Rin said. Naruto shot her an incredulous look.

"I find this whole thing a little hard to believe..." he admitted. Nawaki smirked at his teammates.

"Told you he would want proof." he said victoriously. While rolling his eyes, Obito produced a summoning scroll from his storage pack. He bit the tip of his thumb, producing a small amount of blood and unraveled the parchment. He wiped his thumb down the center of the scroll and, in a puff of vapor, a rapier appeared in his hand.

"Here. Using this blessed rapier should be all the proof you need." he said, tossing the bladed weapon to the blonde. He caught it and unsheathed the metal sword. He twirled it around nimbly between his fingers, noticing how easy it was to maintain control over the instrument.

"Try channeling some chakra into it." Rin urged. Naruto nodded and allowed some of the spiritual energy to flow into the blade. It began to glow with a soft, golden aura as he brought the sword down in an arc in front of him. A thin, yet long, blade of light was emitted from the ensiform steel, splintering the wood of a tree several meters away. The blonde boy's eyes practically jumped from their sockets as he observed the potential strength he held.

"From the look on your face, I assume you've figured out exactly how strong you really are?" Nawaki asked.

"Yeah. If I had sped the stroke up, the blade emitted would've been faster and more powerful. At full speed, it would've slice straight through that tree." Naruto replied. They looked at him with small smirks. The village idiot, was he? If he was an idiot, they'd love to see what a genius was like.

"And probably the next seven behind it. Your latent potential is remarkable, even if your growth was stunted in the academy. For this reason, among a few others, you were chosen." Obito said.

"With this power...would I be able to become Hokage and protect this village?" the blonde asked.

"Yes, without a doubt. Of course, you should probably save the world first and foremost." Rin suggested playfully.

"You guys know so much about me...how is that possible? And why are you being so nice to me? It's obvious you know about my little 'problem.'" he said. The three understood he meant the demon fox he housed within his seal.

"You saved this village, and you're the son of their sensei. We've no reason to hate you. Besides, a lot of the higher ups in Paradise hold you in high regard." Nawaki remarked. It was difficult for them to retain their laughter at the sight of his blush.

"Aw, he's cute like that! It's a wonder why he hasn't had his first kiss yet!" the young girl said, making him turn even redder.

"Rin-san, please..." the boy pleaded.

"Gomen nasai, Naruto-sama." she replied.

"Right, onto business then. We need to see Hokage-sama right away. He needs to be informed on this predicament." Obito said. Naruto had his doubts, but kept quiet. These three knew what they were talking about.

"Okay, I'll take you. But, you should henge into something inconspicuous so that way we avoid a larger ordeal later." he said. They nodded and made a hand seal. In a puff of vapor, they transformed into three scrolls that Naruto handled carefully and slipped into his pack. Then, at a great speed, he ran towards the Hokage Tower. The five shinobi they defeated were left unconscious until they woke later, with no memory of what had happened.

(A few minutes later: Hokage's Office)

The Sandaime Hokage sighed at the stacks of paper work in front of him. How had Minato put up with it? He always seemed to get it all done and still have time for other things. Unfortunately, the old Hokage hadn't learned his secret before the Yondaime passed away against the Kyuubi.

He remembered the solemn look his successor – and, sadly, his predecessor – wore as he retrieved his son to face down the demon fox and seal it away. Speaking of his son, he heard a rapid rapping at his door, accompanied by a loud shout he knew could only belong to a certain blonde haired Genin.

"Come in, Naruto." he urged. The blonde maelstrom entered the office and made sure the door was locked behind him. He turned to the Hokage with an expression of seldom seen seriousness that it caught the older man off guard.

"What seems to be the problem? You look tense, young one." Sandaime said. Naruto drew three scrolls from his pack tenderly.

"I think the answers you seek – as well as my own – lie in these scrolls." he said with a calm demeanor foreign to the boy's inherent nature. Sandaime's curiosity was piqued by the parchment placed on the floor in front of him. Then, without warning, the three scrolls were enveloped by a cloud of vapor.

Momentarily, he thought that Naruto was pulling one of his infamous practical jokes. This thought was shoved aside when three forms became visible through the smoke. As the room slowly cleared of smoke, Sandaime found himself gawking at the young people in front of him.

"Long time no see." Obito said, flashing a victory sign with his fingers.

"Y-You're...Uchiha Obito...Haruno Rin...and Senju Nawaki...How is this possible?" he found himself asking.

"Sarutobi-sama, you've gotten old. Really old." Nawaki said jokingly.

"Yeah, Hokage-sama, what happened? Just a decade ago you were only graying a tiny bit. Now, though, your age really caught up with you." Rin said playfully.

"Naruto, how do you know these three?" Sandaime asked the blonde. Naruto explained everything that had happened that day, and then told him about Lord Daimon and the plot to take over the world. The old man reclined in his chair with an expression of disbelief plastered onto his face.

"I don't think he believes us." Nawaki said, noticing the Hokage's expression.

"To be honest, I can hardly believe it." Naruto admitted.

"Do you need proof too? If you do, I'll give a small demonstration." Obito offered. He drew his longsword from its scabbard and held it in a ready position in front of him. Then, without him uttering a word, the blade lit itself aflame, startling both Naruto and the Hokage.

"I didn't know you could do that! If I had to fight you three before, then I probably wouldn't have lasted three seconds!" Naruto exclaimed. The Hokage cleared his throat, getting the room's attention.

"It appears that my opinion has been swayed. With that display, I have no reason not to believe you. Now, please, tell me what I could do to assist you." he said.

"If you could keep this as discreet as possible, then that'll be a good thing. Also, any information you could give us about some of Lord Daimon's associates would be helpful." Obito said. He turned to the world map that was posted upon the wall. He put his finger on the middle of the map, where a mountain range was indicated.

"As you know, the known world is divided into two 'halves' by a long, treacherous mountain range known as the Dragon's Nest." he said. He moved his finger to the east, resting it on the symbol for Konoha.

"On the east side, where we live, the shinobi way of life has taken root. We have villages ruled by a Kage or Feudal Lord and a council of elders, and use the three ninja arts – ninjutsu, taijutsu and genjutsu – in battle." he continued. Now, moving his finger to the west side of the mountain, he stopped on the capital city for the country of Shiruba.

"On the west side, the people are more modernized than we are, inventing devices like walkie talkies and cell phones. The countries here are ruled by a king or queen of some kind, and they battle using blessed weaponry and the magic arts. Both sides are normally on good terms with each other, but whenever there were conflicts, they typically ended in a bloody war that ended the lives of many warriors on both sides." he explained.

"I'm completely aware of the history between the two continents, but what does this have to do with the mission you've all been given?" Sandaime asked.

"Lord Daimon has made allies in each of the nations and villages. Including Konoha." the Uchiha said darkly. A cold, collective silence hung in the room.

"...Do you know that identities of those whom he has made alliances with?" the Hokage asked.

"Not all of them, but I can point out the ones we do know." Obito said, looking at the map once more. He skimmed through the founded nations on both sides, nodding every now and again.

"Okay. He's made alliances with Orochimaru in Oto, the Akatsuki in Ame, a band of powerful mercenaries in Suna, a faction of elders in Kusa, a powerful sorcerer in Shiruba, the current leader of Hoshi, the Neo Swordsmen of the Mist from Kiri, a band of rebels from Getsu, a scientist from Akegata, and a group of rogue knights from Seigyoku. Lord Daimon himself is from Naiya. Eventually, all these threats will have to be dealt with." he explained.

"That's quite a list of organizations. You say there's a group like that in every nation?" the old man asked.

"Yes. He's already sown the seeds of his influence. Now all he has to do is watch them grow." the Uchiha said with a solemn expression.

"We won't allow it! I'll build up the army and take them all down!" Naruto said, pumping his fists into the air.

"If it were only that simple. The Chosen Warriors would have to show incredible potential, and be able to develop their skills within a very short time. Metaphorically, it would be the equivalent of a recently graduated Genin becoming an ANBU squad leader within two months of becoming a ninja." Rin explained.

"It's close to impossible. The only reason Naruto even has that much potential is because of the Kyuubi. If we find anyone with that type of talent, it would probably be in the upper Jonin or ANBU rank." Nawaki admitted. Naruto looked down dejectedly. Most of the people in those ranks would rather see him in a ditch then at the head of an army.

"That may not be necessarily true." Sandaime said, getting the other's attention.

"Huh? What do you mean, Hokage-sama?" Rin asked.

"I do believe that there are several students from Naruto's graduation class that show the same potential as he does. If they all study under your tutelage, then perhaps they could best even me." he suggested.

"That idea has it's pros and cons, but what choice do we have? First, we'd need to get all the Genin together for a mission, but what mission could a Genin perform that would involve such a large group?" the dirty blonde asked.

"I might have such a mission. Naruto, please tell Hatake Kakashi, Yuuhi Kurenai, Sarutobi Asuma and Yamashiro Aoba that I wish to see them." the Hokage said.

"But, what about these guys? They'll need a place to stay." Naruto said.

"They can stay with you if there's no quarrel." he replied. The blonde nodded in response.

"Alright. After I deliver your message, I'll return home and fix the place up a bit. It's a bit of a mess." he said bashfully before leaving. Obito turned to the Hokage, smiling as he did so.

"Alright, what do you have planned?" he asked. The old man smiled softly.

"I suppose that, if I gave you a C-Rank mission where, based on the client's personality, more guards would be requested, that might be an answer to our dilemma. Tazuna-san seems like the type of man who wants to lead an army that would value his life over theirs." he said.

"Ah, I see. So, with the Genin in tow, we go out on the mission to see if they have the potential, right?" Nawaki asked.

"That's the idea. If anyone asks you where you came from, say that you came from the previous graduating class." the Hokage instructed.

"Are you going to tell the senseis everything?" Rin asked.

"I should, seeing as they would probably recognize you. However, I would either need to swear them to secrecy or have them join your army." the older man said.

"Sorry, you'd have to make it a secret, if anything. The younger warriors are always more willing to learn and grow than the older ones. Besides, none of the Chosen Warriors, despite their abundance, are older than seventeen." Obito said.

"And what would sending a non Chosen Warrior into battle do?" the Hokage asked.

"Eventually, their death." he replied. Sandaime's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't been expecting that type of answer. These Chosen Warriors sound like they had been decided a long time ago.

"The Chosen Warriors were chosen long ago, weren't they? You just want to make sure you made the right choices." he said knowingly.

"There's no putting anything past you, is there, Hokage-sama?" Nawaki asked.

"Yes, we know who they are and so will Naruto. He'll be able to sense when an ally is near him. That ability was developed as a failsafe, just in case one or more of his allies goes missing or is kidnapped. He's always had it, but it won't awaken until he uses his abilities in battle for the first time." Obito explained.

"This whole idea is still very complex. A lot of energy must have been put into this endeavor." the Hokage said.

"True, but the hardest part will be breaking the news to the Genin. I know that Naruto isn't held in high regards by most of them. And, if I remember correctly, didn't one of the new graduates succumb to illness and pass away?" Rin asked.

"Sadly, yes. His name was Sabaki Gennai, and he died of poisoning on a mission. His team showed such promise that I gave them a C-Rank mission to protect a town from bandits. We never suspected them to use poison to fight, but the town was saved thanks to his sacrifice. His teammates still miss him painfully." the older man explained.

"Gennai...Oh, yeah! Didn't he recently join the Holy Guard?" Nawaki asked.

"I think you're right. Ah well, we won't be sure until they get here." Obito replied.

"Either way, we should be-" Rin started.

"If you wait for a little while, I'm certain you could help explain to the senseis the position their students are in. Besides, Kakashi would get quite a surprise out of seeing his old teammates again, don't you think?" the Hokage urged. The three warriors looked at each other and sighed. It would be easier to explain if they were there with them, but then again, they wanted to keep a low profile. However, having the senseis know would make honing their student's skills easier and quicker.

"I suppose that's okay..." the Haruno said.

"Good. Then, please, be prepared for some rather interesting questions..." the Hokage advised.

(Current Day)

Naruto remembered the looks on their faces when they came home that day. He was almost positive that if the Kyuubi had appeared before them in flesh and blood, they wouldn't have cared. Shoving his own thoughts aside, he looked at the calender posted on the wall. The group mission was tomorrow, and it was getting late. He supposed it would be best to get some rest.

A knock on his door, however, caught his ears. Who would be visiting him at this time of day? Curious, he answered the door to find a young blue haired boy standing there. He wore a red jacket over a yellow undershirt, with black sweatpants and a pair of bands wrapped around his wrists. The most striking detail he possessed, Naruto noted, were his melancholy green eyes. He remembered the boy's name as Mokushi Taiyou, heir to one of the lesser clans of Konoha.

"Taiyou, what brings you here? And why do you look so upset?" the blonde found himself asking. He and Taiyou had gotten along well when they were in the academy, and both expressed disappointment when they weren't chosen for each other's team. He considered him one of his precious people, and hell would freeze over before he let them down.

"Hey, Naruto, do you mind if I come in?" he asked. Naruto shook his head and let the taller boy in, shutting the down behind him. Taking a deep breath, Taiyou turned to the blonde.

"By now, I'm certain you've heard of Gennai-san's death. Natoyo is still taking it pretty roughly." he started. Naruto's expression became solemn as well. Gennai was a friend of his as well, and he remembered having to use every ounce of self-control he possessed to keep from weeping in public. He hadn't slept at all that night.

"That was almost two weeks ago, wasn't it? Natoyo was always the type of person who seemed emotionally sensitive." he offered.

"Yes, but some believed the two to have the type of brother-sister relationship often seen among long-standing friends. With this upcoming mission – the first we've had since his passing – I'm afraid she'll be too distracted and end up dying on the battlefield. I already lost one teammate due to my own inability, and I refuse to lose another. While we're in battle, Naruto, I want you to watch her back for me, considering I don't trust in my own abilities just yet. Please, for Gennai-san." the blue haired boy pleaded.

"I already planned on watching over everyone, but I'll make sure she survives unscathed." Naruto promised, although he didn't enjoy the way his friend questioned his own abilities like he did.

"Thank you, Naruto. I know I should be strong enough to protect her, but..." Taiyou trailed off, a look of uncertainty evident in his features.

"Taiyou, listen, you can't blame yourself for what happened. Do you think Gennai would want you feeling so weak over something he decided? He took that poisoned blow, knowing it would be his end, but he did it for a noble cause. That's why his name was engraved on the Memorial Stone." the blonde put his hand on the boy's shoulder, "Don't waste his sacrifice." he said.

"...Then I guess I'll just have to get stronger so no one will have to make that kind of sacrifice." Taiyou replied with a smile. Naruto smiled back, one of his genuine smiles. Now, his friend had a goal to get stronger.

"Since it's not too late, would you like to go train for a bit? I'll leave a note for my roommates so they know where I am." Naruto offered.

"That sounds fine. I noticed you've been carrying around a rapier. I guess it's to match the new look?" Taiyou asked. Before, the blonde had sported a bright orange jumpsuit, but now his attire was completely different. He now had on a black and red jacket with black sweatpants. A leather belt was fastened around his waist, with his rapier secured tightly to his body.

"I know a small amount of swordplay. I know you've been practicing with a blade as well. Would you care for a match?" the blonde asked in a dignified manner.

"I hope your blade is as swift as your mouth is." the boy replied. The two headed out the door and towards the nearest training field, their blades at the ready.

(The next day)

Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke waited patiently for the other Genin to show up, along with their sensei, Hatake Kakashi. She was enamored with the passive Uchiha, though he didn't acknowledge her presence half the time. Deciding to strike up conversation, Sakura turned to him.

"Have you noticed that Naruto has finally changed his appearance? That God awful jumpsuit is finally gone. Maybe now that baka won't get killed in an ambush." she said. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. She had actually piqued his curiosity.

"True. Did you notice the rapier he's been carrying around?" he asked.

"Yeah. I wonder where he got it from? You don't normally see that type of sword around here." she remarked. Rapiers were very difficult to obtain, let alone use. Since the blade was thin and pointed, the user must have excellent accuracy and speed in order to land decisive blows. Their teammate was never known to possess either.

"You think the dobe gave up being a ninja and is trying to be a swordsman?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't know. Either way, he's still a loser." Sakura admitted. He had no talents that she knew of off the bat. Okay, so he had Kage Bushin, but that was it. Nothing more. At least she knew some genjutsu and had been studying some of the west's magic arts. Then, she noticed a scroll strapped to the Uchiha's shorts.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun, what's that scroll for?" she asked. He gave her an annoyed glare before replying.

"It's a saber. My clan gave birth to many powerful swordsmen as well as shinobi. I aim to best both arts." he answered. She found herself blushing. She loved the fact that he always tried to better himself, even when he was perfect enough to begin with. He was a true genius.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Naruto approached the meeting spot for the mission. He felt fairly confident that they would succeed. Of course, when Obito mentioned the client was a bit of a jackass, he wasn't kidding. When he met the man, he wouldn't have loved nothing more than to tear his head from his body. He was scrawny, yes, but he had some muscle tone. If he punched someone, they'd be likely to fly off the ground and land a yard away. His taijutsu was a little sloppy though...

He snapped himself from his thoughts when he saw Team 10's Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino and Akimichi Chouji with Team 8's Hyuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, his nin-dog Akamaru and Aburame Shino. He knew they would be going on the mission with his team, along with Obito's team and Taiyou's team, which was short one member. He sighed to himself. Most of them thought he was a weakling and the "dead-last" like everyone else. Most of them. Hinata wasn't like that, something for which he was grateful for. He remembered when he first met the shy Hyuga girl, five years ago, when they were eight.

(Flashback: Five Years Prior)

A young Naruto sat alone on the swings once again. None of the other kids wanted anything to do with him. Not that it surprised him, but it still hurt. He made sure that no one saw him cry to himself, as he kept his back to the playing children. However, he didn't notice one young girl walk up to him.

"Um...e-excuse me...b-but, are you okay?" she asked quietly. Naruto quickly wiped the tears from his eyes and turned to meet the person addressing him. He saw a young girl dressed in a light blue kimono, with short midnight blue hair and pale, pearly eyes.

"W-Who are you?" he asked nervously.

"H-Hyuga Hinata...and, um, what is your name?" she asked shyly.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! It's nice to meet you." he said happily, his earlier sadness forgotten.

"I-It's nice to meet you t-too, Naruto-kun." Hinata said.

"So, what did you mean when you asked if I was okay?" Naruto asked. The young girl flushed slightly as she looked to the ground.

"W-Well, you just seemed sad about something, s-so I thought y-you would like to t-talk about it? M-My mother told me that talking a-about your problems m-makes you feel b-better." she replied.

"Oh..." He wasn't expecting anyone to care about him, let alone some stranger he'd never seen before in his life. Hinata seemed disheartened by his silence, as she began to turn away.

"I-If you don't want to talk-" she began.

"No, no, that's not it! It's just that, not a lot of people are nice to me, so I didn't think someone would care if I was sad." he admitted.

"T-That's horrible! No one is nice to you?" she asked, making the idea sound as if it was the highest offense anyone one person could commit. He was already taking a liking to the girl.

"Not a lot of people, no. But, you're different. I like you, Hinata. We should be friends." he suggested. She smiled warmly at him.

"I'd like that a lot, Naruto-kun..." she said quietly. She mentally congratulated herself for not stuttering. Before she knew it, the blonde boy was taking her by the hand to the playground.

"C'mon Hinata! Let's play tag! I'll be it first, okay?" he asked happily. Seeing how happy the boy was, all she could find herself able to do was nod in agreement.

(Current Day)

Ever since then, the two had been close, if not best, friends. He helped her overcome her shyness and stuttering, exposing a calm and sophisticated young lady to the world around her. He noticed that she did things with a certain grace that none of the other girls possessed, and that was something truly unique to her. Speaking of which, the Hyuga heiress noticed him approaching and smiled.

"Hello, Naruto-kun. How are you today?" she asked, alerting the others to his presence. He walked up to the group and waved before answering her question.

"I'm doing fine. Are you guys ready for the mission?" he asked.

"I still find it troublesome that we all have to go." Shikamaru said lazily.

"Lighten up, Shikamaru! This must be a really important mission if they're assigning so many Genin to it! This is gonna be my chance to shine!" Ino said excitedly.

"Yeah, I even heard that one of the teams from last year are coming with us." Chouji said.

"Then I guess we can show those older Genin exactly how it's done. Right, Akamaru?" Kiba said. His dog barked in agreement.

"I agree it would be most...favorable...to display the extent of our abilities to those who have experienced the shinobi way of life longer than we have." Shino said, which was the longest time Naruto had ever heard him talk. Then, he noticed the items the group was carrying. Most of them had a scroll strapped to their clothing, while Shino held a small black tome in his hand. He assumed it was a magic tome from the west.

"Did you guys always carry weapons or did I start a trend?" Naruto asked smugly, earning himself five glares. Before anyone could insult the boy, Hinata spoke up.

"I suppose you did, considering I began training with lances and spears after you had received your rapier. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I thought it would be a good idea in case we didn't have chakra to use jutsu." she said.

"Have you been doing well?" the blonde asked. He sincerely hoped his friend was doing well in her new training, and her stated reason for taking up an armed weapon was a convincing one.

"I could still use a little work, but I've come far. Even Father has taken notice in my development, so I must be doing it right." she admitted bashfully. To be honest with himself, Naruto didn't exactly like her family. They treated her – and anyone else not of Hyuga blood – like dirt, to be stepped on without remorse. He wouldn't mind going to the Hyuga manor and start knocking heads together.

Shoving such thoughts aside, he turned to the other Genin with curiosity etched onto his face. If Hinata had started using lances, what of the others?

"So, what about you guys? Hinata can't be the only one training with weaponry, or are those just for show?" he asked.

"It's troublesome, but I've started archery. It's really the only weapon I could find that could fit my nature." Shikamaru said. A collective thought between the Genin proved they knew it was since a bow had a small amount of movement compared to other weapons.

"But what if the enemy gets too close for you to attack?" Hinata asked.

"It's a bladed bow. I can just separate it into two make-shift swords if the enemy gets close enough." the Nara replied. Naruto had to admit, for a lazy bastard, Shikamaru sure was smart. Ino stepped up to allow them a glance at her amazing abilities.

"Behold, my holy dagger!" she said, withdrawing a small dagger from its hiding place on her person. The others sweat-dropped at her dramatics.

"Um, that's great, Ino-chan..." Hinata said supportively, though her small smirk said otherwise.

"Yeah, that's amazing..." Naruto said. The blonde smirked as she twirled her dagger in her hand before tucking it into its hiding spot. Now that he thought about it, a dagger was a helpful weapon in a pinch, and it was easy to land a killing blow.

"I've got an axe, so that way I can hack through anyone who gets in my way." Kiba said grinning. Chouji glared at him before speaking up.

"Hey, you copied me! The Akimichi have always been known to be heavy hitters, so axes suit our natural physique." he complained. Naruto smirked at his antics before turning to Shino.

"I see you're carrying a tome. What kind?" he asked. Shino raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected the blonde – infamous for his lack of knowledge – to know what he held with him. He deserved an answer to his inquiry, even if it was unexpected.

"Dark." he replied simply. Naruto felt his eyes widen slightly.

"A Dark tome?! Those are extremely difficult to obtain, let alone master! Any user would have to be incredibly intelligent, not to mention have the resilience to withstand light or divine spells, which I understand is more difficult compared to that of elemental spells. Of course, you knew all this already, right Shino?" he asked. He didn't notice the others staring at him like he had sprouted an extra head.

"...Yes, I was aware of this information. However, I failed to see that you were informed as to the mystic trinity's strengths and weaknesses as well, Naruto." the Aburame replied.

"Yeah, Naruto, where'd you learn that? I didn't even know that." Shikamaru admitted.

"I, um, ran into a traveling sage that took an interest in my curiosity. He explained a lot about the mystic arts and, even though he sensed I don't have the affinity for magic most mages do, said that with enough practice I could use spells as well." he explained. He hadn't completely lied. He did have it all explained to him, although it was Nawaki who had done the explaining. He also encouraged him to learn at least some minor magic attacks, just in case he needed them. The beige haired mage even gave him a thunder tome to practice with.

It was best to learn multiple forms of combat. That way, even if facing an opponent that outmatched one of those forms, it was still possible to defeat him using an alternate method. However, he felt that ninjutsu and swordplay would forever be his strong point. He had learned much from Obito and his team, and wondered exactly how many ways there were to fighting enemies.

He remembered them telling him about several basic styles, from both the east and west. There was, of course, ninjutsu, genjutsu and taijutsu, a ninja's three most basic styles. They evolved into more complicated and intricate styles of themselves that became too numerous to count. Aside from them were the Kekkei Genkai, blood line traits and abilities unique to certain clans, and even the use of ninja tools became known as kenjutsu. Then, from the west, there was swordplay, lancing, axing, archery and the magic arts. He was informed that some people had the ability to natural shift forms into an animal of some kind, which was a cause of racial separation, something Naruto didn't quite understand.

"Hey, c'mon, let's go! If we don't hurry, we'll be late!" Ino said, snapping Naruto from his thoughts.

"Wait for us!" someone else shouted. They turned to see Obito, Rin and Nawaki running up to them with Taiyou and Natoyo in tow.

"Who are those guys?" Kiba asked as Naruto smiled.

"Obito-san, we're over here!" he shouted to them, waving his arms in the air. The groups merged together, with Obito smiling in relief.

"Good, we caught up to you before you got there. Couldn't have you beating us, right?" he asked jokingly, making the blonde roll his eyes.

"Oh, these must be the team from last year joining us! Hi, I'm Yamanaka Ino!" Ino introduced. After everyone introduced themselves, the group headed towards the gates. Naruto turned to Natoyo quickly, noticing the blonde haired girl was quietly thinking to herself.

"Hey, you okay, Natoyo?" he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, Naruto, I'm sorry. I'm just still a little upset since Gennai-san died. If I hadn't been so caught up in fighting, I might have been able to help him." she said sadly.

"Would he have been content knowing his teammate died because she was worried about him? You forget, he _let_ himself take that blow. You mourning over him as badly as you have is touching, yes, but almost an insult to his memory. He died a hero, and a protector of innocence, and you should be sad, of course, but also proud that he was able to perform such a noble deed. It's hard, but he wouldn't want you dwelling on him. For his sake, please cheer up." he said encouragingly. He saw the vitality return to her emerald eyes.

"You're right...I'm insulting Gennai-san's memory by sulking over his noble sacrifice! I refuse to do so any longer! Naruto, if you wouldn't mind, would you train with me when we get the chance?" Natoyo asked him.

"Of course. I wouldn't turn away a friend." he replied with a smile. She smiled as well as they arrived at the gate. Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi were already there, waiting for them.

"You all came together? And there's quite a larger number of you than I expecting." Kakashi remarked.

"Hn. Maybe things will be a bit more interesting." Sasuke said smugly, making Naruto glare at him silently.

"Whatever, teme. I can't wait for the chance to show you up. It's time someone put you down a peg or two." he said, making the Uchiha survivor give him a special black death glare (Property of Uchiha Clan, all rights reserved).

"Like you could, dobe. I'm pretty sure every person here could beat you without much trouble." he replied, smirking superiorly. Before their argument could escalate any further, Hinata intervened.

"Um, where is our client? We cannot begin the mission without him present." she said. They heard someone walking up to them from behind and turned around, instinctively grabbing their weapons in case. However, all they saw was an old man approaching them somewhat drunkenly. The young warriors sweat-dropped. _This_ was the guy they would be protecting?

"Ah, so my mini-army of kids has arrived, have they? They don't seem all that strong, but maybe together they could beat someone without dying. That blonde midget doesn't look like a ninja either. Konoha must be getting desperate." he said in a sluggish tone. Naruto glared at him before restraining himself from jumping him. Everyone took a step back, however, feeling the killing intent the blonde was displaying, but some questioned whether he was the only one releasing it. It was official: none of them liked this guy. Surprisingly, it was Naruto who spoke up before any one else.

"You shouldn't be insulting the people who're guarding your life. We could just as easily 'accidentally' leave you in the open for an enemy attack. Show at least a little gratitude that we've accepted the mission despite the outrageous requests you've requested, let alone granted." he said calmly, much to everyone's surprise.

"Since when did you talk like a diplomat?" Kiba asked.

"Maybe I always had, but you've just been too busy boasting about your superiority that you never noticed." the blonde responded, taking the lead as the group walked through the gates and towards their destination, the Wave Country.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

About an hour after the group had left, Naruto felt a chill travel down his spine, making his hair stand on end. Observing his surroundings using the periphery of his vision, he noticed a small puddle of water on the side of the road. Strange, considering it hasn't rained in weeks. He looked at the faces of the group to see if they had noticed as well. Obito, Rin and Nawaki seemed aware of the situation, but everyone else seemed oblivious. Kakashi had probably seen it too, but it was impossible for him to discern the man's thoughts through that mask he wore.

He silently nodded to his three "bodyguards," who kept their hands by their weapons so they could defend in the blink of an eye. He paced himself with his sensei until they walked side by side.

"Kakashi-sensei, have you noticed?" he asked in a whisper. The masked Jonin felt his eyebrows raise. He didn't think anyone else had picked up on it. He knew that those three from the Holy Guard noticed as well. He'd expect nothing less from his old teammates. Maybe there was something more to his blonde student than meets the eye.

"Yes, but I didn't think you would've, not at your current level. Keep your rapier at the ready and be ready to defend Tazuna from any enemies that may attack, got it? Chances are, they'll attack me first to eliminate the biggest threat, but I'll pull a substitution. I want you to remain calm and focus on defeating your enemy." he instructed quickly. The blonde silently nodded in affirmation, then slowly made sure he was close to Tazuna before continuing the walk.

That's when it happened.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The last few seconds were nothing but a blur to her, but Ino felt her eyes widened when Kakashi was effortlessly killed by two ninja using chained gauntlets. The confusion only grew when Naruto and those three from the year prior withdrew their weapons to deflect the attacks of other assailants, whom jumped away to join their comrades. Had he known about this before hand? No, that was impossible. How could Naruto, the class loser, pick up on this before the great Uchiha Sasuke-kun? However, what she heard Rin say made her eyes widen.

"Naruto-san, give your orders! We're ready at your word." she said sternly. Her butterfly swords were crossed in front of her torso, prepared to cleave anything threatening her client.

"There's no way I'm taking orders from the dobe. I'll take the lead." Sasuke said.

"How about you let the expert handle this?" Obito asked, earning him a glare from his unaware cousin.

"I hope you're not talking about yourself." he replied.

"No, let Naruto-san handle this. Contrary to what you think, he's capable of doing many things you can't. Including leading a team without anyone dying." the older boy said.

"Sasuke-kun could easily lead a team ten times better than he ever could!"Sakura retorted.

"Yeah! What could Naruto do that Sasuke-kun couldn't?" Ino asked. As they argued, the blonde boy stepped out in front of them.

"Rin, Nawaki, guard Tazuna with your lives. Obito, quit your arguing. If they don't want to follow my orders, no one is forcing them to." he ordered the three, who immediately complied. That only complicated things further. How did he command respect from those three, who were _older and stronger than they were_? Naruto was ignorant of their confusion, as his eyes were closed as he used his chakra to discern the abilities of his enemies before him.

_'There's thirty of them in total. Most of them are clones, though. Their chakra signature is different from the originals. There are only two real shinobi, both about Chunin level judging from their capacity. They both summoned clones, which is why there are so many. I see...they think that such high numbers will frighten us. I can't really blame them, considering the abysmal behavior my teammates are exhibiting. I'll need to think of a plan and quick before someone ends up dying.'_ he thought.

"Aw, the little brats can't fight without their sensei. Too bad. I was hoping this would be fun." one of the ninja said. Everyone outside of the Holy Guard seemed intimidated by the numbers they were confronted with.

"So, you guys are after Tazuna-san? May I ask why?" the blonde asked.

"Gato wants him dead, so we'll make it so. Nothing you can do when receiving orders from the higher ups." the second ninja replied. The blonde was pretty surprised at hearing the name Gato as their employer. What could he want with Tazuna?

"Gato? The shipping industrialist?" Naruto inquired.

"Yeah. That's all you need to know though, since you're all gonna die. To arms, men! Take them down!" the first ninja said. The clones prepared to attack the group. As everyone braced themselves, Naruto scoffed.

"Do you honestly think that a cheap trick like this will work? C'mon, you guys are at least Chunin level, aren't you? Surely you didn't think we'd be that stupid. Those are obviously water clones conjured before hand so we'd think they were real and retreat. There's a few flaws to that plan. Firstly, a clone is a replica of the user, so they'd share every physical trait down to the last detail. For all these men to have the same facial features, as well as height, is nothing short of impossible. Secondly, the chakra signatures given out by you two is different than those of your clones. It was also very hard to detect, but you two are identical twins. Your chakra signatures are almost the same as the other. Almost. There's a slight difference in the older brother's aura that shows you are two different people. Not to mention that it would be incredibly taxing for any shinobi without very high chakra reserves to create such a massive amount of clones without passing out or dying. So, naturally, two of you would be needed, but your identical appearance makes it seem that theres only one of you. It's a shame – and an embarrassment – to go through such lengths to fool a group of Genin." he explained. The whole company was silently staring at him with wide eyes.

"...Ha, and I thought this wouldn't be fun. Right away, this kid sees through our ruse. It's a damn shame we have to kill ya, you'd probably make one helluva ninja later in life." the older twin said.

"I'm afraid we'll have to disappoint you, but we shan't be dying here today." Hinata said, stepping up next to her best friend. Turning to him, she held her lance in a ready position.

"I am ready and willing to serve, Naruto-san. Please, give me your orders." she said respectfully, like a soldier to his commander. She could feel the stares her teammates were giving her, but she didn't care. She wished she had done this sooner.

Taiyou and Natoyo looked at each other, silently concurring on their silent thoughts. They approached the blonde and knelt before him.

"Naruto-san, my blade is yours to guide. Use it as you see fit." Taiyou said, his longsword in his grasp

"Naruto-san, my bow is armed and my arrow prepared to fly. Allow me to smite your enemies." Natoyo said, her bow on the ground beside her. Naruto looked at the three with a surprised expression before smiling. Keeping the tears from his eyes, he cleared his throat.

"Thank you. Your first order: never call me 'Naruto-san' again. We're friends, not soldiers." he said as the trio smiled. To their surprise, Shino spoke up next.

"...I must admit, I miscalculated my initial perception of you, Naruto. If you would allow it, let my abilities be of use to you." he said, allowing his tome to slip into his hand. Now everyone was looking at the blonde. Where was the class clown now? He was so...different than before. He actually didn't kill Tazuna – or attempt to anyway – in a fit of rage, nor did he charge head first into the crowd of clones before them. As impossible at it seemed, Uzumaki Naruto had actually grown up.

"...This seems to be becoming a trend, but let my axe fight for you, Naruto. You've changed for the better, that much is obvious. I want to show you that I've changed too." Chouji said, standing up with the others of Naruto's "army."

"There's no way I'm missing out on this party! Naruto, I'm counting on your judgment! You'd better not screw up!" Kiba said, taking his axe as Akamaru yelped and leaped from his master's jacket, growling at the enemies before them.

"It's troublesome, but I'm trusting you too Naruto. Don't make me do too much and you'll have me your long time ally." Shikamaru said, arching his bow.

"...Naruto, may my dagger serve you well. I promise, I won't let you down." Ino said, drawing her dagger from it's hilt. She ignored the shocked look on Sasuke's face as she when to the front lines. However, the biggest shock of his life came when Sakura stepped behind Kiba, facing Naruto.

"I will fight from here. Just make sure someone can cover me while I cast my spells." she requested, earning a nod from the blonde general. Sasuke grit his teeth. How could they even think of serving under the dobe's command? The idea was laughable, and half the group was against it before Naruto saw through the Chunin's ruse. Even if it was impressive. Upon thinking that thought, he crushed it ruthlessly. As much as he hated to admit it, Naruto had _impressed_ him. With a regretful sigh, he turned to his blonde teammate.

"...I'll take your advice this one time. Unless you made Chunin before I do, don't expect me to take orders from you ever again." he said with much chagrin. Naruto smiled a genuine smile before looking at his friends.

"Everyone, our objective is to protect Tazuna at all costs. We cannot let a single enemy past our defenses. When you see even the smallest opportunity, land a killing blow. Archers, mages, stay behind the main force and attack from the rear so you're not in any immediate danger. For the front linesmen, we'll ram into their forces hard and without remorse. Remember that we must defeat the two brothers if we are to continue our mission. Without a doubt, failure is not an option!" he said to his team, who all nodded in response, some more hesitantly than others, but none more certain than Hinata. As he drew his rapier from its scabbard, he knew that this would be his first fight as a member of the Holy Guard. He knew that the outcome of future battles – as well as the development of his own leadership skills – were dependent on this battle. As the first of the enemy clones charged forward, his eyes adapted a fierce glare of determination that none thought possible of the boy. As his opponent neared, he brought his sword forward in a jabbing motion, prepared to fight for the future of the world.

**Damn, did I write all that? Anyway, this is the remake of my story, "The Leaf's Emblem." The idea, while far-fetched and somewhat unstable, is something I don't believe anyone else has thought of thus far. This story will include the Naruto storyline, as well as some of my own elements, some references to the Fire Emblem series, such as weapons and classes, and this will all be set in a modern time where the two "continents" vastly differ from each other. I know I will be asked questions about that, so let me clarify now to simplify: Imagine the east as the Naruto world, and imagine the west as our society. Also, you must realize, that since the two are aware of each other, then more modernized elements will be included in the Naruto storyline, while more traditional moments will be shown for the western characters when they appear. I ****hope you enjoy and look forward to the next chapter. Ja Ne! **

**Ninjafan101 **


	2. Arc 1 Chap 2: Tension and Revelations

**Plight of the Leaf Chap. 2**

Naruto felt his rapier pierce through the clone's chest with deadly accuracy. The body exploded in a burst of water, falling harmlessly to the ground, never to trouble anyone ever again. That felt good. Really good. He watched, somewhat prideful, as Hinata skewed a clone on her lance, letting the water flow over the blade of her weapon. She twirled the poled weapon in her hand, then thrust it forward, aiming at the younger brother. A warrior's way of saying "Prepare to die." He nodded to the young girl and the two charged towards the two true ninja.

Sakura drew her tome from its pouch and quickly recited the incantation. A large fireball shot from her hand and engulfed a clone, vaporizing it with the searing heat. She watched as Kiba cleaved through one with his axe. She had to admit, it was impressive the way the boy easily brought the large weapon around as he did. She was snapped from her thoughts as a sword nearly decapitated her. She ducked under the blade and sweep her enemy off his feet. Driving her fist into the clone's body, it exploded in an array of water.

Sasuke back flipped away from the clone, then drove his saber into its chest. He jumped back as a sword tried to slice into his skin, but failed to see the clone awaiting his descent. However, an arrow expertly launched by Natoyo silenced it. As the young Uchiha landed, she used his shoulders as a springboard to catapult herself into the air. With astonishing speed, she shot through three clones with relative ease. Sasuke was honestly impressed by her prowess in archery, but his musings were cut short as a clone attempted to run through her. A quick stroke of his saber ended the threat to her life, earning himself a nod of gratitude and a quick "thank you" before the battle picked up again.

Taiyou sliced through yet another clone, his broadsword wet with the clone's dissolved remains. He kicked himself into the air, drawing a set of five shuriken in his hand as he did so. Twisting his body to gain momentum, he released the shinobi stars from between his fingers, watching with a satisfied grin as they torn through three more clones. Water spurt from the wounds created before they once more became liquid. Two clones leaped into the air to strike at the blue haired boy, but Rin's butterfly swords countered them before they could reach. In one quick motion, she cleaved through them, leaving a trail of water following the movements of her blades. The two swordsmen stood back-to-back as they were surrounded by five clones. With quick strokes, they easily dispelled their enemies, water soaking their clothing.

Chouji hacked through his opponent, its liquid contents spilling upon the ground. The big boned shinobi jumped away from a sword aimed at his gullet, bringing his axe down on the clone's body. As he skid to a stop, he noticed that three clones were waiting to impale him on their blades. However, a surge of dark energy engulfed them, crushing them in a sphere of high pressure. When the sphere faded, water splashed to the ground, forming a small puddle. Chouji looked to see Shino holding his tome, his arm outstretched. With a gratifying nod to his teammate, he refocused his attention to the horde of clones before them.

Ino's dagger tore through the clone's watery flesh, forcing it to revert to its previous state of liquid. She flipped away from her enemy's sword, bringing her smaller, yet sharper, edge to meet with it. The metal clashed in a deafening ring as both combatants jumped back from each other. The light blonde haired kunoichi, however, released hidden kunai from her person which impale the clone in an admirable fashion. Just as she thought herself safe, a blade was pressed to her throat. Her eyes widened in surprise as she mentally swore to herself. However, before her head could be disconnected from her body, Shikamaru fired an arrow straight through the clone's head, killing it instantly. She smiled and waved at her teammate, showing her thanks for his deed. He nodded in response, turning his gaze back at the battle raging before him. This whole thing was so troublesome...

Nawaki flipped back as he released another wind spell, tearing the three clones in front of him to pieces. Pivoting his body on his foot, he drew several shuriken from his pouch to attack with. With a quick flick of his wrist, the metal stars embedded themselves within the clone's skin. As they melted into water in front of him, a chained gauntlet wrapped around his body from behind. He mentally cursed as he was lifted into the air and slammed into the ground. A wave of pain washed over his body as he picked himself up from the crater he had made. He was pissed. Drawing his tome and summoning his chakra, he turned to a powerful spell in his book. As he stored his chakra, his robes began to billow out in a strong breeze.

"**Kijutsu: Arashi Ken! (Magic: Tempest Blade)**" he called in a loud voice. A large blade of wind was launched at the clones. The spell plowed into its targets, eliminating them all.

Obito slashed through another clone, wiping the sweat from his brow. This was becoming increasingly difficult to contend with. No matter how many clones they destroyed, more just appeared to replace them. He allowed himself a small smile. It was jutsu time. He jumped into the air, making hand signs as he ascended.

"**Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu! (Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu)**" he called. A raging pillar of fire crashed down on the clones below. The other Genin, seeing the attack, knew that play time was over. Ino and Shikamaru nodded to each other. She made a quick hand sign as he watched the clones before them.

"**Genjutsu: Kusabana Katawa. (Illusion: Flower Distortion)**" she said under her breath. The clones were surrounded by a storm of yellow rose petals, confusing their senses. Shikamaru, taking advantage of the temporary confusion, made his family's most famous hand seal.

"**Kage Mane no Jutsu! (Shadow Possession Jutsu)**" he called. His shadow expanded from beneath his feet and connected with those of the clones, interlocking their movements. Ino switched hand signs to use her follow-up technique for the illusion.

"**Ninpou: Hana Kamisoriken! (Ninja Art: Petal Razor Blade)**" she called. The petals sharpened to razor length before they plunged themselves into the clones, dispelling them with ease. Sasuke back flipped away from the clones before sealing for his jutsu.

"**Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu! (Fire Style: Great Fireball)**" he called. A large stream of fire jut forward from his mouth, engulfing the clones in a crimson blaze. Shino, Kiba and Sakura turned to a large mass of clones in front of them. At once, they called their attacks.

"**Kijutsu: Kaen Taiga! (Magic: Flame River)**" Sakura called. A large funnel of fire erupted from the palm of her hand, rushing toward its target.

"**Mushi Mure. (Insect Swarm)**" Shino called. A mass of insects emerged from his sleeves and directed themselves to the enemy.

"**Juujin Bushin! (Man Beast Clone)**" Kiba called. Akamaru transformed into an exact copy of his master in a puff of smoke. The two nodded at each other, then began to spin around at high speeds.

"**Gatsuuga! (Dual Piercing Fang)**" they both called. They became spiraling drills that plowed into their enemies. The three attacks easily dealt with the clones blocking their way. Taiyou quickly brandished his broadsword before leaping back from the three clones attempting to cut him. He sealed quickly for his technique.

"Prepare to burn. **Katon: Hibashiri! (Fire Style: Running Fire)**" he called. Streaming jets of orange flames jut out from his hands as he began spinning in a counterclockwise direction. The flames began forming a funnel that engulfed the clones surrounding him with little effort. The shinobi regrouped, standing with their backs turned towards each other.

"No matter how many we take down, more just seem to pop up." Chouji stated.

"We need to find a way to take out the main shinobi." Rin said.

"But how are we to do that?" Sasuke asked.

"I can easily discern the fakes from the creators, but there's no guarantee that I'll find a way to attack them." Taiyou suggested.

"Do we have any other choice?" Kiba asked.

"Kiba's right. We need to take any chance we have." Shino added. Natoyo looked to her teammate and nodded. He nodded back and closed his eyes. When he reopened them, they had changed. His normal emerald green irises were replaced with two bright orange glowing eyes. There was no trace of a pupil. In his vision, he saw the heat signatures of everything around him, even the sun shining overhead.

The clones gave off a weaker heat signature than their creators, allowing him to discern the difference. However, he wasn't expecting seeing what he did.

"I don't think we'll need to worry about the twins." he reported. Everyone looked at him with questioning glances.

"And why is that?" Shikamaru asked.

"Naruto and Hinata are kicking their asses as we speak." he said with a smile.

Naruto flipped back, avoiding the sword that would've sliced through his gall bladder. He quickly threw several kunai, which his opponent easily deflected. The blonde smirked as the paper bombs he had attached to the kunai detonated, blowing the enemy ninja back.

Hinata gracefully weaved herself pass her enemy's blade, her lance coming towards his chest. He leaned back, letting the poled weapon pass over his horizontal body. However, he was knocked back by the Hyuga heiress's powerful kick. He rolled along the ground to right himself, then charged at her with his sword drawn. He went for a sideways stroke to cut her stomach, but that plan was foiled when she used her lance to stop the blade with its pole. With an upward thrust, she knocked the sword from his hand.

Naruto lifted his rapier into the air, channeling his chakra into it as it ascended. It began to glow a bright gold, an arc of light tracing its movements. His eyes held a serious calmness as he prepared his attack.

"**Kogane Enko! (Gold Arc)**" he called. He brought his sword down with great speed, producing a powerful arc of golden light that cleaved through his enemy.

Hinata gathered chakra into her palms as she charged forward to finish her opponent. Using her Byakugan, she slammed chakra into his own tenketsu, sealing off his own chakra reserves. With a final, powerful Jyuuken strike, she closed off all access to his heart, killing him instantly.

The shinobi watched in surprise as all the remaining clones evaporated into water before their eyes. Naruto and Hinata returned to the group, treading over the watery residue of the battle.

"That was a close one." the blonde boy admitted. Sasuke and Sakura looked at him with a small amount of anger evident.

"You idiot, those guys killed Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed, sadness in her voice.

"If he's dead then how come he's right behind you?" Naruto asked, pointing behind them. The young Genin turned to see an impressed Kakashi standing next to a startled Tazuna.

"That was a superb display of skill for those as young as yourselves. I didn't realize you had such potential." Kakashi said to the gawking teens.

"We thought you were dead!" Kiba exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at the Jonin. Naruto tapped his shoulder and directed his gaze to the severed remains of a log Kakashi had used as a substitution. He sweat dropped as Akamaru whimpered in discontent.

"Tazuna-san, I believe you have some explaining to do." Kakashi said, turning to their client.

"Those shinobi were obviously out to kill you. You stated in your mission request that you wanted protection from bandits and thieves, not ninjas and assassins." Sasuke said, continuing on his sensei's comment.

"They also said that Gato, a world-wide shipping industrialist, is out for your head. Care to tell us why he's after you, and why you wanted so many ninja to come with you on this escort mission?" Shino asked. Tazuna sighed in a depressed undertone.

"...I come from the Land of Waves, a dirt poor country that heavily relies on its shipping industry. However, Gato came along and easily took control of the country, slowly sapping the economy, sending the people deeper into poverty. I'm a threat to Gato's power, since my bridge project would connect the island to the mainland." he explained.

"I get it. If that happened, then Gato would no longer own a monopoly in the country and he'd lose his power." Naruto said.

"Exactly. You're a pretty smart kid, for a midget. That's why Gato is sending assassins after me. I understand if you want to return to the village, but I must go." he continued.

"We should report back to the Hokage that the mission's ranking would be at least an 'A'. I'm not sure these Genin are ready to take on Jonin level ninja." Kakashi said. Surprisingly, it was Sakura who spoke up.

"Forgive my impudence, Sensei, but if we all work together, we could face any foe, no matter the skill difference. Everyone here has special abilities that hasten our progress in the future, especially on more difficult missions. If under the right leader..." At this, she glanced at Naruto for a split second. "...then I'm positive that we'll pull through." she said, leaving a few people gawking at her.

"You yourself should know that strength and ability can surpass rank. Regardless of the fact that we're still Genin, we can beat most Chunin and rookie Jonin. You've seen what we're capable of." Obito said, tossing his two cents in. He had also hinted at the battle where he had previously been killed, where Kakashi had received his Sharingan. They were against much more experienced Jonin, but had won in the end. Kakashi took the hint and sighed.

"It appears my opinion has been swayed. We shall continue this mission as scheduled. However, if we engage an enemy that I feel is too powerful for you to take by yourselves, I will fight him myself." he ordered with conviction. The Genin nodded in consent.

"Hai, sensei!" they said in unison. As the group began to move once more, Hinata turned to her blonde friend, a smile plastered on her face.

"Naruto-kun, you were amazing. I hope you proved that you could be a ninja too if you tried hard enough." she said.

"Don't worry, Hinata-chan. I won't be dying anytime soon." he replied. _'More like I can't die otherwise the world is going to be destroyed, but I'd best not tell anyone about that just yet.'_ he thought. Unbeknown to him, Sasuke and Sakura were staring at him from behind.

"How do you think he got so skilled with a sword?" Sakura asked. For the first time in his life, Sasuke was clueless. He didn't have an answer to such a simple sounding question. The whole situation was a tad bit too quirky for his tastes. Most of Naruto's time in the academia world was focused on playing pranks and practical jokes on most, if not all, of the students. There was no possible way that Naruto had changed from the blonde dobe to a master swordsman in less than a week.

"Sakura, I don't know. This is something that I have no explanation for." he replied. The two stood back from the rest of the ground, ruminating recent events. Was there more to Naruto than meets the eye?

Taiyou walked up besides Natoyo, wanting to speak with her as they walked. The last battle had proved that she was no longer grieving, which was a nice change of pace. However, he still felt the need to protect her. Gennai had had a crush on her when he was still alive, and since he was his best friend, hell would freeze over before he let her die.

"Natoyo, are you feeling better?" he asked. She turned to him and smiled.

"Yes, I'm much better, thank you. Naruto kinda chewed me out." she admitted bashfully. He laughed whole-heartedly at her predicament.

"He does have a tendency to make us feel like idiots, especially since he's right most of the time." he said.

"That's why I wonder why he was the lowest rank in the class. He seems too skilled and intelligent to actually be that naive." she replied thoughtfully. Honestly, to Taiyou, it was bizarre. He knew Naruto hid behind a mask of sorts, concealing his true emotions from the world. Having the Atsusagan at his disposal really helps in reading people's mindset.

When a person is feeling a different emotion, their temperature changes slightly. It isn't noticeable to most thermometers, but doujutsu techniques could tell the difference like night and day. He remembered one time he confronted Naruto on this, and he had never expected the reaction he had gotten.

(Two weeks prior: Naruto's Apartment)

Naruto and Taiyou had just returned to his apartment after school. The young blonde seemed happy and energetic on the outside, but Taiyou's eyes saw past his ruse. Enough is enough, he knew. He wouldn't allow his friend to mull around in his misery.

"And then, Sasuke-teme was all like-" Naruto was unaware of his friend's thoughts, deep in the retelling of a...less than pleasant encounter with the stoic Uchiha.

"Naruto, I'm sorry, but I can't take it anymore." Taiyou said with a calm seriousness that alerted the blonde.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You know about my Atsusagan, right? That it lets me see the heat energy around me and utilize it in battle? It also can read the body heat of others, and depending on their temperature, I can determine the true emotions of anyone I want." he explained. He noted the surprised expression plastered on the blonde's face.

"Why are you so sad all the time? Half the time, the happiness you display is nothing but a foul ruse. I'm your friend, Naruto, and I worry about you sometimes, especially when you wear that mask of yours. Drop the charade and tell me what's wrong." he continued. The solemness in Naruto's cerulean eyes told him that the mask was off.

"You always were a smart one, Taiyou." he said with a small smile.

"So you'll tell me?" he asked. The blonde sighed in what seemed to be regret.

"After waiting so long for an answer, it would be rude not to. I hope you have a lot of time on your hands." he said.

"Go ahead. I don't have to be home until dinner." he urged.

"...I never knew my parents." Naruto began, much to Taiyou's surprise. He knew Naruto was an orphan, but he never knew his parents? "I was alone all my life. The only people in this whole village who were nice to me were the Hokage, Iruka-sensei, Hinata-chan, you, Natoyo and Gennai. Everyone else hates me for a reason I don't understand. I've been so lonely, it seemed to me that it was my fate to forever remain so. Then I met Hinata-chan and everything started to change. By becoming friends with her, she introduced me to you and the others. Since I'm close to both you and Hinata, the Hyuga and Mokushi clans have actually formally apologized for their past actions, which they said were based on ignorance and fear." he continued.

"Ignorance and fear? You're just a kid, a Genin no less. What would they have to be scared of?" Taiyou found himself asking. He mentally kicked himself for his poor semantic, but Naruto didn't seem to care.

"That's what I asked myself a while ago too. That's when I got an answer. You remember Mizuki from the academy, right?" he asked. The blue haired boy nodded in response. He was fully aware of the treachery Mizuki displayed when he manipulated Naruto into stealing the sacred scroll, then attempted to kill both him and Iruka.

"That night when he tried to steal the scroll, he revealed to me something that, for as long as I live, I will never regret hearing. The day that Kyuubi attacked, the Fourth easily realized that he would not be able to kill the monster. So, he was forced to seal it into a newborn child in order to save the village. This act sacrificed his life. As his dying wish, he wanted the people of the village to see this boy as a hero, not the demon itself. This last wish was largely ignored by the populace, whose own self-diluted fears prevented them from seeing the child as who he really was. That child..." Naruto paused as Taiyou's breath held in his throat, his eyes wide.

"That child is you...isn't it?" he asked, his voice low and calm. The silence Naruto displayed only confirmed his answer.

"I understand if you don't want to hang out with me anymore..." the blonde admitted, almost as if expecting Taiyou to leave. What had happened next was the opposite of what he thought would. The blue haired boy turned to him, his eyes tearing, and embraced the younger boy in a friendly hug.

"You know, you're like the little brother I never had. If you think that you being a living sacrifice will change that, you better not believe it." he said. That's when Naruto finally let his tears fall. Taiyou swore that his friend's sobbing could fill an entire ocean. He silently cursed the majority of the villagers for allowing such misery into the life of a mere child.

About the same time, a majority of the village sensed in unison. Medics would later chalk it up to a jutsu malfunctioning and causing a strange reaction in the village. Nothing to worry about.

"...Naruto, you don't need to cry anymore. From now on, I'll be your surrogate older brother. You won't be alone any longer." he said in a consoling tone. However, instead of a reply, he heard a faint snoring sound. With a surprised glance, he peered down and saw that the young boy had fallen asleep. He sweat-dropped as he lifted his friend from the ground. He was heavier than he appeared, to his surprise, and found himself struggling a little to keep from dropping him.

"Damn, this must've been like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. The stress finally caught up with him." he wondered aloud as he gently placed Naruto on the couch.

"I guess he wouldn't mind if I left him be. It's a good thing he knows how to cook, otherwise I would have to stay here and cook for him too." he mused as he went towards the door. Before he left, he realized something that he had to do. Taking a piece of paper and pen, he quickly scribbled down a note for him. Folding it and placing it where he knew Naruto would find it, he left the apartment, making sure to lock the down on his way out.

(A few minutes later)

Naruto finally stirred from his little nap and looked around. Had that all been a dream? He remembered telling Taiyou about the Kyuubi, but he couldn't decide if it was a dream or not.

He thought it would be best to shove that thought aside for later, as his stomach didn't hesitant in telling him that it wanted food. He walked into his kitchen and reached into the cabinet for a cup of instant ramen. Him and his obsession.

However, when he pulled the cup from the shelf, a folded piece of paper fell to the floor. Curious, Naruto picked the paper from the floor and unfolded it. There was a message written on it in Taiyou's familiar handwriting.

'Dear Naruto,

Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. Remember, you're not alone anymore.

Mokushi Taiyou'

Naruto's initial surprise was replaced with a solemn happiness as he refolded the note and placed it on the counter. For once in his life, he had been accepted without prejudices by one of his peers. Someone of his generation had not turned away, instead embraced him with the promise of friendship. With this thought fresh in his head, he couldn't help but continue the day with a skip in his step.

(Present Day)

Taiyou scoffed at the idea of Naruto being "inane and naive," making Natoyo raise her eyebrow in question.

"If you knew half the reason why, you'd understand so much more." he replied, almost mystified, as he stepped ahead of her. She couldn't help but ponder the comment he made as they continued down the road. There was definitely much more to Naruto than what you saw at first glance. Now, the only question was, what was he hiding and why?

(A few hours later)

Naruto and Kakashi were not present at the campsite they shared, having gone out for firewood, so the Genin had taken advantage of their time to discuss the earlier battle.

"I didn't think that Naruto of all people could have pulled that off." Kiba admitted, getting many agreements from the group.

"You should have a little more faith in him. We haven't even known him that long, but we know that we would have difficulty battling him." Rin said. Sakura noted that their was something familiar about the young myrmidon, but couldn't place her finger on it. Shoving that thought aside, she listened to Ino's reply to Rin's comment.

"Have you ever seen his academy grades? Their deplorable! What happened today had to be little more than a stroke of genius." she offered as a refute. Shikamaru sighed as he spoke up.

"A stroke of genius like that wouldn't have come around when it was welcome and then disappear when it was no longer needed. Besides, Naruto is still acting a little more mature than he usually display. Maybe its time we accept the fact that he's not the same blonde dobe we thought he was." he explained. He earned several strange looks from the nonbelievers.

"Shikamaru, did you hear yourself? You once said that if Naruto ever actually grew up that you'd die of a heart attack." Chouji reminded him.

"This whole thing is so troublesome..." the young Nara replied.

"Yeah, if Naruto is only putting on a show to try and change our minds, its not working." Kiba agreed. Hinata was calm, making sure to suppress the foreign feelings of anger from making themselves known to the others. However, her clenched fists would've given her away had anyone been looking.

"Then how come you all agreed to work under him before?" Obito asked.

"We were under attack. What were we supposed to do, sit back and let them kill us?" the young Inuzuka asked.

"I'm having a hard time believing that is your only reason." Natoyo admitted proudly.

"Are you guys really that shallow? You're not even giving him a chance!" Taiyou said.

"Shallow?! I just think he's an idiot who can only concentrate in a fight! You have a problem with that?" Sasuke asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do." the Mokushi heir replied, standing up. Sasuke followed suit, as did several others at the camp. Sakura was very concerned by her own feelings. She wanted to side with Sasuke, but she saw for herself how determined Naruto was in the earlier battle. She didn't know if Sasuke would make sure everyone had a partner to cover them in case something happened. For now, she stayed sitting, backing away from the argument. Ino noticed this, and decided to talk to her about it later.

"You do not want to fight me." the Uchiha warned.

"You have no idea how wrong you are." Taiyou replied. Just as the two were about to start pounding each other, something happened that no one would have ever expected.

Hinata stepped between the two and _smacked _them both so hard in the face that they were knocked to the ground.

"STOP IT ALL OF YOU!" she shouted, making all the Genin stare at her in confusion/shock.

"Do you realize how idiotic and unneeded this argument is!? First of all, we're all Naruto's friends, and have no right to judge him so harshly when we may not even know him that well. To those of you who say that he is an idiot, you yourselves are idiots for not opening the book and looking past the cover. And those of you who say he is a capable shinobi, while I agree with you, you should not go around picking fights like that, since Naruto-kun would not be happy to know that people were hurt because of him. End this inane disagreement now or I will see to it that any of you who wish to continue this will have to answer to _me_." she scolded them in such a tone of disappointment and scorn that all were struck speechless by her outburst. The seductively deadly glare she flashed also made quiet an impression on them, showing that she was dead serious. Kiba and even Shino were gawking at their normally quiet and composed teammate.

Hinata knew damn well that she would probably receive hell for this later, but when it came to her Naruto-kun, she would kill to make sure he was safe – physically, mentally and emotionally. She was now on a rant, and they weren't going to stop her.

"I'm so sick and tired of everyone talking down to him like they're better than he is. I will no longer tolerate this kind of talk against him by people who don't even know who he is. I have been his friend for the past seven years, and I've seen what people do to him and how he's treated by the whole village. I could do nothing other than wonder why they did what they did. No more...I won't just stand by any longer..." she turned away and walked towards her tent, tears running down her cheeks. The group couldn't help but notice the pride evident in her movements.

When she entered her tent, the group friction returned, but only slightly. The majority of the group didn't want to tick Hinata off anymore than she was, so they dropped the matter for another day. However, glares were still thrown by various people, and Naruto's "supporters" often found themselves being taunted from a distance by his "aggressors."

Meanwhile, while the battle of wills raged at camp, Kakashi decided to take the time to talk with Naruto about today's battle. The pressure must've been immense, and the young blonde didn't show signs of stress.

"Naruto, that was superb work in today's battle. I believe that the entire village has underestimated you." he said to his blonde pupil. Naruto smiled widely at the compliment.

"Thank you, sensei, that means a lot." he replied.

"I noticed that you were somehow able to get everyone to fight under you and for one cause. Do you think you can do it again?" the silver haired Jonin asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea. I think the only reason there was little opposition was because the majority of them believed you were dead and were looking for direction. I was the one who was going to give it to them, so they followed me out of a need of leadership." Naruto assessed. Kakashi felt his eyebrows raise in surprise at his answer. _'How did they miss this type of tactical genius back at the academy? Or...did they even bother to look?'_ he asked himself. Before he could continue, Naruto stood up from his kneeling position, carrying about eight or nine logs of firewood.

"I'd say this is enough, so let's head back to camp. We've taken about a half-hour, so some of the others may be wondering if something happened." he said as he headed back towards the campsite. Kakashi decided to vocalize his opinion before he lost his chance.

"Naruto, you have a type of tactical prowess rarely seen in shinobi your age and rank." he said. At this, Naruto stopped in his tracks. A silence from the blonde told him it was safe to continue.

"I believe that the instructors at the Academy had seriously overlooked your talents. How did you learn to assess situations like that and work out a proper plan?" he asked. Naruto turned back to face him.

"When you live alone and everyone is trying to kill you, these things develop naturally. Thanks to the Kyuubi, I've lived my entire life in loneliness and misery, but I never once thought that I would ever harm anyone in the village. That would only prove to them that I _am_ the monster they think I am. If I'm going to be Hokage someday, I'm going to have to earn the villager's trust and respect along the way, and I'll start with the students of my graduating class." he answered. He continued walking back, with a stunned Kakashi following silently behind.

When they arrived back at camp, they sensed the tense atmosphere and knew there was some type of conflict. Naruto sighed. He had a feeling he knew what it was about. Dammit, why couldn't everything go smoothly for once in his life? He knew one person to talk to about this.

Hinata dried her eyes, refusing to cry any longer. She had to be strong for Naruto's sake. Speaking of the blonde, he entered the tent with her and sat down. She sensed his presence, but made no move other than a nod to acknowledge him being there. Naruto broke the silent taboo.

"So, what happened?" he asked. At this, she turned to face him. He was surprised to find that she had been crying. He clenched his fists, swearing to beat the bastard who made her cry to a pulp and then some.

"It's a long story..." she admitted.

"I've got time." Naruto replied. Hinata retold to him the argument that had occurred and he immediately felt guilty about it.

"I-It's not your fault! It was my fault for yelling at everyone and-" she was cut off by a new voice.

"No, it's everyone's fault, excluding Naruto." Obito said, walking into the tent.

"Obito-san..." Naruto said in slight surprise of seeing him there.

"While everyone has a different opinion about you, we had no right to start a fight the way we did. I'm sorry, but there was nothing I could do to prevent it. Hinata-san, however, did a lot better job than I did. I'm pretty sure that most of the boys were ready to wet themselves when she gave us that death glare." he explained, laughing slightly at the memory. Naruto couldn't help but laugh at the mental picture of Sasuke getting scared of Hinata. Hinata giggled a little as well.

"Ah, there's a smile! Now, c'mon, let's get ready for bed." he said to Obito, who nodded in response.

"Good night, Hinata-san." he said before leaving. Naruto smiled bid Hinata a good night as well, following Obito to the tent they shared with Nawaki.

"I'm really sorry Naruto-san! I didn't even know what was going on until the fight was about to begin!" Nawaki said when they entered the tent.

"Its okay, I guess. I didn't think that people would start fights about this. Why does my life have to be so damn complicated?" Naruto asked as he changed into his pajamas.

"I don't know, but it is only going to get more so as time goes on. I hope you know that." Obito replied as he took off his goggles, his obsidian eyes revealed to the world. Those eyes reminded Naruto of a question he wanted to ask the young Uchiha.

"Obito, since you're an Uchiha, do you have the Sharingan?" he asked. He nodded in confirmation, making sure no one outside heard.

"Sasuke's hasn't developed yet, at least not to my knowledge. Once he gets it, though, he'll probably only get more of a superiority complex." Naruto admitted.

"Then is he going to have his ego deflated." Obito remarked, making the blonde laugh in response. Nawaki had lied back in his sleeping bag, his thoughts somewhere else.

"Hey, you guys, do you think...that I'll ever see my older sister again?" he asked.

"Your sister?" Naruto asked.

"That's right. Nawaki's older sister is Lady Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin..." Obito said thoughtfully. The blonde's jaw dropped at that revelation.

"Y-You're sister is the legendary Tsunade?!" he asked in shock. The dirty blonde nodded in response, smirking in amusement.

"So, wait, if you didn't die in the Great Shinobi War, how old would you be right now?" Naruto asked.

"Hm...I'd say in my late thirties, but I'm not sure." he replied.

"If Rin and I hadn't died, then we'd be Kakashi's age." Obito said.

"I just realized that I'm technically sharing a tent with two dead guys..." the blonde said, slightly disturbed by the idea.

"Hey! That's messed up Naruto-san!" the black haired Uchiha replied, taking offense in his comment.

"We have these bodies for a reason, you know. God does miraculous things." Nawaki said. Naruto couldn't help but laugh at the mental image someone would get if they had heard that comment from outside. Obito must've read his mind, since he said what he had thought.

"Dude, you do realize how funny it would be if someone heard that from outside, right?" he asked. Naruto deadpanned in response, making the other two laugh.

"I'm still sharing a tent with two dead guys." he mumbled before dropping the subject.

(With Sakura and Ino)

Sakura was eerily silent and it annoyed Ino to no end. She wanted to know what the hell was wrong with the pink haired kunoichi, but she wouldn't say a damned thing!

"Sakura, what the hell is your problem? You've been like this ever since the argument and it's driving me crazy! Can you please just say something?" she pleaded.

"That's just the thing, Ino, I don't know what to say anymore..." Sakura admitted, confusing the blonde even more.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"Today, I saw a side of Naruto that I didn't think he had. I compared his way of handling things to the way Sasuke-kun would and I noticed that..." she stopped herself, knowing that saying it was more difficult than knowing it.

"Noticed what? You started, now you gotta say it." Ino urged. Slightly hesitant, Sakura continued.

"I noticed that Naruto had a system where everyone had a partner, and no one was fighting alone. We watched each other's backs and made sure we all made it through okay. I'm not sure that Sasuke-kun would put that much thought – if any – in making sure everyone got through it alive, or if he would rather have a sacrifice or two to complete the mission." she explained, tears gathered behind her emerald eyes.

Ino remembered earlier when a clone had a sword to her throat. She was going to die, but Shikamaru – her partner – had saved her. Because of that, she had survived the battle. She looked at the ground, feeling awful about herself. She had been such an asshole to the very person responsible for saving her life. She had to ask herself – would Sasuke do the same, or would he have let her die? Their tent was silent for the rest of the night.

(Later that night)

Naruto was awoken by a rustling sound outside. He had never been a heavy sleeper. Not taking any chances, he grabbed his weapon pouch and his rapier, preparing himself to fight an enemy.

With a quick change of clothes, he ventured out, making sure that none of the others were disturbed. His vast chakra sensory capabilities allowed him to discern the enemy's presence and their numbers. There were few, but he had no idea what they were capable of. He knew they were more assassins sent by Gato, but he wouldn't allow them to get into the camp.

"You can come out now! I know you're there!" he said forcefully. To his call, several shinobi jumped out from the bushes, surrounding him with weapons armed. The apparent leader stepped out from the group, applauding for some unknown reason.

"I'm impressed. You can't be a mere Genin with those kinds of skill. Are you Chunin perhaps?" he asked.

"I just graduated from the Academy, so I'm afraid you're mistaken. If you're here for Tazuna, you'll have to go through me first." Naruto said, drawing a kunai. He knew he was vastly outnumbered, but there was no way in hell he was letting them in without a fight. The man in front of him laughed.

"Do you honestly think that a single Genin could take on me, the great Zugu, and all these men by himself? I don't even think you're worth my time, so I'll let my men have a little fun." he said as his subordinates closed in on the blonde.

Two were dead before they even knew what hit them.

Naruto brandished his rapier as he jumped away from his attackers. He noticed that they had a mage within their ranks and mentally cursed. That would serve to be a problem. Nonetheless, he had to win. If they got into the camp, they could kill everyone! He couldn't let that happen! Especially not to...

He jumped down from the branch he landed on, preparing to hack his way through anyone in the way. Three fighters – axe wielding warriors – charged at him. However, they were much slower than he was, and he was easily able to dispel them. The mage cast a lightning spell from his tome, summoning a bolt that nearly struck Naruto. He moved at the last moment, however, and dodged the attack.

Unfortunately, a well placed fire jutsu knocked him onto the ground, searing his clothes and burning the skin underneath. Luckily, the Kyuubi's healing powers made sure it was nothing too severe. Before he could rebound from the attack, a strong fist slammed into his gut, knocking him into the air. He tried to right himself in midair, but a lightning spell from the mage struck him from behind. He cried out in pain as the spell sent him flying in the opposite direction, ultimately lying on the ground in a heap.

His entire body was bruised in some way, with minor cuts caused by the spell's cutting properties. Zugu scoffed at the injured boy.

"Is this really all you got? You're pathetic." he said insultingly. Naruto struggled to stand, glaring down the man in front of him.

"If I'm pathetic...then how come you need other men...to do the fighting for you?" he asked. Zugu instantly angered, kicking him in the chest and knocking him down once more.

"If you want me to fight you, I'll do so gladly! Prepare to die!" he said, charged at the boy with his axe raised. Naruto closed his eyes, waiting for the right moment to strike.

_'Everyone is in danger, and I'm the only one who can save them.'_ he thought,_ 'I won't let them win. Even if I must die in the process, I will protect my friends. That's why they won't ever win. As long as I have my friends to protect, I will never falter! I will never give up! I! WILL! WIN!' _

At this moment, his headband fell from his forehead, having undone itself, revealing a glowing symbol on his forehead, just under his blonde bangs. Zugu was surprised at this sudden turn of events. The symbol on the boy's head was glowing a bright gold color, but that's not what surprised him. The symbol itself was the kanji for 'light.'

In a flash of light, all of Naruto's injuries had healed themselves, and he stood as if the battle had just started. Now, however, he and his rapier were glowing in a gold aura.

"Do you think that a fancy little light show will make you stronger? I'll fix that for you now!" Zugu said, raising his axe once more. However, a blast of light from the blonde shattered the weapon into pieces.

"You made a grave mistake coming here. Leave now and I'll spare your lives." Naruto said, readying another light blast from his hand.

"I don't think so! Men, attack him while I grab a new axe!" Zugu ordered. His men complied, wanting a chance to strike down the boy who so easily defeated their leader's axe. The blonde sighed.

"Have it your way. Just don't complain in the afterlife." he said. He formed his signature hand sign, ready for a fight.

"**Kage Bushin no Jutsu!**" he called. Suddenly, five Naruto clones popped into existence, with the same aura as the original. All six drew shuriken from their holsters and, charging them with the golden energy around them, threw the barrage of metal stars into the group charging at them.

The majority of them were killed in the attack, including the mage that had injured Naruto earlier. Zugu was appalled at the brat's raw power and ability to use it so effectively. This boy wasn't human.

"Who are you?! No Genin could possibly have this much strength!" he said. Naruto turned to him, making him flinch in response.

"I'm not a normal Genin – just one with an awesome Kekkei Genkai." he offered as an excuse. Technically, this could be a Kekkei Genkai, but it would be best to keep the true nature of this power a secret.

"Kekkei Genkai or not, I'm still going to kill you!" the leader said, charging at Naruto once again.

"Can't they ever just give up? I've have enough killing for one day." he complained as he jumped away from his opponent. Enough was enough, he decided. He sighed out loud.

"Fine. If you're in such a hurry to die, I'll help with that." he said. Zugu was only enraged further by his comment, and charged at him with the intent to kill.

"You little bastard! I'll teach you!" he shouted. Naruto summoned a small amount of light in his palm, ready to end his enemy's life.

"**Awai Mori (Light Harpoon)!**" he called. The light in his hand took the form of a harpoon, which he threw at Zugu. It pierced through the bandit's chest, killing him with no more than a grunt of pain. There wasn't even a physical wound.

The aura around Naruto faded, as did his clones. He was panting heavily, the battle having taken its toll on him. He began slowly walking back to his tent, but exhaustion caught up to him first. He passed out in the middle of the campsite, with a contented smile on his face.

(The next morning)

Hinata jut out of her sleeping bag, a cold sweat running down her cheeks. _'What a horrible nightmare...'_ she thought. Thankfully, that's all it was. A nightmare. She honestly hoped that Naruto would never have to fight off a group of bandits by himself – not until he was ready at least.

She was stirred from her thoughts by a blood-curdling scream from outside. Grabbing her lance and ninja gear, she ran outside to find out what had happened. She found everyone gawking at something in the center of the campsite.

"What is it? What happened?" she asked. No reply. She decided to have a look for herself. Forcing her way through the crowd, she looked out into the field.

She instantly regretted it.

It was a blood-stained battlefield, with corpses thrown about. Most had shuriken coming from various areas. One man had no visible wounds, almost as if he had just dropped dead. But, what horrified her the most, was Naruto's unconscious body in the middle of it all.

"NARUTO-KUN!" she exclaimed in worry and shock. She ran over to him, praying that her nightmare had not been reality. The others were still in shock that he had defeated them all.

"How did he do that without any of us waking up?" Taiyou asked.

"Cause he's kick ass." Natoyo replied as if the answer was obvious. Hinata cuddled Naruto's body, looking for a sign that he was still alive. She checked his pulse, only to find it beating at a normal rate for a sleeping person. A wave of relief washed over her as she steadied her breathing.

"Thank God..." she whispered. Kakashi and Tazuna stood a fair distance away, observing from afar.

"That boy is some kinda powerful. For him to be able to take down that many people and live with minor injuries is nothing to laugh at." Tazuna remarked.

"He has that trait about him. He can take enough punishment to kill a dozen people, yet keeps on fighting." Kakashi said approvingly of his pupil.

Sasuke was gawking at the strength the blonde portrayed. He wasn't sure that he would be able to survive such an assault, but not only did the dobe survive, he killed the entire enemy force! What in God's name gave him the power to do that?!

As the Uchiha heir racked his brain to determine an answer, Rin, Nawaki and Obito ran to Hinata and Naruto's side.

"I'm a trained medic-nin. Let me have a look at him." Rin said, kneeling down next to the blonde.

"His pulse is steady and his breathing is regular. I examined his internal functions with my Byakugan and found nothing amiss. The only thing are the flesh wounds, which I believe you can tend to, Rin-san." Hinata said respectfully. The undertone, which Rin fully understood, was _'Thank you and God bless you, you freaking SAINT!' _

Rin began healing Naruto's injuries as the others composed themselves for a group meeting. Taiyou and Natoyo were not present, as they had gone to the field to help bring Naruto to his tent and to comfort Hinata.

"Okay, so maybe Naruto isn't the weakling we all thought he was back in the Academy." Kiba said.

"What was your first clue?" Ino asked, earning herself a glare and a bark from Akamaru.

"It's obvious we misjudged our comrade. Perhaps it would be in everyone's best interest to rectify our misjudgment from the past." Shino suggested. Everyone looked at him strangely, something that didn't phase him in the slightest.

"Shino has a point. Maybe we should give him a chance to prove himself." Chouji admitted.

"He hasn't proved himself by single-handedly defeated a band of bandits – probably hired by Gato – with the intent to kill him?" Shikamaru asked incredulously. Normally Chouji would be offended by such a comment, but he knew his friend had every right to be like that.

"You're right...but how did he do it?" he asked.

"I wish I knew. This whole this is troublesome." the young Nara said.

"Well, as long as he's okay..." Sakura started, but her comment was cut off by Sasuke.

"There's no way that the dobe could have gotten so strong in such a short amount of time. I propose a little espionage." he said. The others quickly agreed. Sakura, however, spoke up.

"Wait a minute! He would sense our chakra whenever we got close enough! How do you defend yourself from that?" Sakura asked, hoping they didn't know the answer.

"We can just disguise our chakra signatures and no one would even know we were there." Shikamaru answered. Sakura mentally cursed as she relented to the plan.

"Alright then. We'll start as soon as he wakes up. There's gotta be something he's hiding from us." Sasuke said. Everyone nodded as they prepared to carry out their plan.

(A little later)

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, his cerulean orbs adjusting to the sudden awareness. Memories of last night's confrontation flooded into his mind as he sat up quickly, giving himself a slight headache.

"Naruto-kun, you're awake!" Hinata said happily, hugging him tightly. He blushed slightly at this sudden contact, not expecting the normally calm and collected Hyuga to display her emotions so freely.

Hinata was in a much better mood now that Naruto was awake. She released her embrace, sitting across from the blonde she admired so much.

"I'm so glad you're okay. If something were to happen to you, I just...don't know what I would do." she said sadly.

"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, so you don't have to worry about that." Naruto replied, smiling brightly. She blushed slightly at his signature grin. Something about it always made her heart skip a beat.

"As long as you're okay. I should have Rin-san examine you so that way we can put any future qualms to rest." she said, running out to grab the young medic-nin. As soon as she left, Obito and Nawaki walked in.

"Feeling better, Naruto-san?" Nawaki asked.

"Hai. Is everyone okay? I know that must've been quite a sight to see in the morning." he admitted bashfully.

"That only proves that you're meant to lead the Holy Guards." Obito said.

"Yeah, but how do I explain it to the others?" he asked.

"You don't. Not until they're ready to accept the truth. As a matter of fact, I think that Hinata-san, Taiyou and Natoyo are the three you should tell first." the young Uchiha suggested.

"I'm not sure...can I give it a little more time? I'm pretty sure they'd believe me, but its a big step to take." he said.

"I guess that'll work. No one's forcing you to do anything, so you can go for it when you're ready." Obito agreed.

"Aw, I wanted gloating rights..." Nawaki said jokingly, earning himself a pillow in the face curiosity of Naruto.

"Is that all you got? I'm starting to think that maybe you're not so tough." he continued.

"Don't try my patients, Nawaki." Naruto warned.

"But it's fun pushing your buttons! I'm pretty sure Hinata-san would get a kick out of this!" the young mage said, unaware of the deadly glare being sent his way. Obito did the smart thing and backed away slowly.

Nawaki suddenly felt a small killer intent and soon found himself hanging upside down from a tree branch by his robe.

"Okay...I deserved that..." he said as Naruto smirked underneath him.

"Don't worry, no one can see anything." he said, leaving the poor boy blushing madly while attempting to free himself.

"Where the hell are my kunai?!" he asked.

"Oh, I think I left them in the tent." Naruto replied, his smirk still growing.

"You SUCK!"

"I'll cut you down later...if I remember that is."

"Naruto-san!!"

(A few hours later)

After Nawaki was cut down (he has been glaring at Naruto this whole time) and the campsite packed up, the group had continued to the Wave Village, where Gato's tyranny held no bounds and the citizens suffered from poverty.

The motor on the boat they rented was silent, so no one would hear them coming.

"What about living arrangements? We can't have sixteen people stay under one residence for too long." Rin said.

"The villagers were secretly informed about your arrival, so each team will be housed by a separate residence. To our knowledge, Gato has no idea we're even here yet." Kakashi explained to his former teammate.

"So, it looks like smooth sailing for a while." Sasuke said. To all present, it was a relief to not worry about an enemy attack, at least not for awhile.

Sadly, Gato had other plans...

(Current Day: Gato Shipping Industries HQ)

Gato sat across from a man he had hired as a mercenary. The news he received had been disheartening, but he knew that these mere children were more than he had expected. They must have a master tactician if they had survived those onslaughts.

"What do you mean both the Demon Brothers and Zugu's platoon were defeated!? You can't even do what I'm paying you for? Maybe I should just end our deal here and now!" Gato said, enraged at the outcome of the confrontations. However, any and all other quarrels were quelled when Zabuza threatened to decapitate him with his buster blade.

"If they couldn't handle the job, then I guess I'll have to go ahead and take care of our charges." he said. He turned to one of the men in the room.

"Raimen, I think it's time we gave them a warm welcome." he said. Raimen smiled evilly at his suggestion.

"I get ya. As long as I get to have a little fun this time I'm all for it." he replied. He and Zabuza disappeared from the room, leaving Gato to his own thoughts.

"That damned bastard is lucky I need him, otherwise I would've had him whacked off a long time ago." he said to himself. Unknown to him, a young boy in Zabuza's company overheard his thoughts._ 'If you think I'll allow you to harm Zabuza-sama, I'm afraid you're terribly mistaken.'_ he thought before he disappeared after his master.

**I am so sorry this took so long to get out, but a number of things that I don't feel like explaining have kept me from writing efficiently. **

**I hope this chapter lives up to expectations, as it shines a little light on conflicts and – what's this – Naruto's new powers! **

**Will the others discover Naruto's secret? Will Naruto tell his close friends about the war against Lord Daimon? Will Zabuza and his minion Raimen defeated the Genin, or will Kakashi intervene? And why the hell am I asking you people these questions? I'm the writer! So, make sure to wait for the next chapter, which I hope will not take as long as this one did! (sweat drops and hides in safety chamber) Please remember to review as well, otherwise Hinata will come to your house and bitch slap you like she did to Sasuke and Taiyou!**


	3. Arc 1 Chap 3: Zabuza

**Plight of the Leaf Chap. 3**

_He continued down the path, knowing that there was only one way in and one way out. If he was right, then the others were in some serious trouble. He shook the negative thoughts from his mind. They were all strong and capable, so they should be able to hold their own until he got there. _

_However, unbeknown to him, he was being stalked, watched by the very people he was looking for. Without warning, the mysterious figures struck. The only thing he felt was a stabbing pain in his back before his world turned red. _

Naruto shot up from his sleeping bag, sweat running down his face. He was breathing heavily, his hands trembling slightly as he recalled the ending to the strange dream he had just had.

It all seemed so real too........He knew he must've been shouting in his sleep, for Obito and Nawaki were looking at him strangely.

"What's up?" the young mage asked tiredly.

"I........I don't know......It was just a bad dream. You guys can go back to bed now if you want to....." Naruto said quietly. Despite the short time they had known the boy, they knew that such a tone of voice meant that something was amiss.

However, they also knew that they shouldn't press the issue, otherwise they would be fighting an uphill battle in a wheelchair. Deciding to take their leader's advice, they quickly found themselves falling back to sleep.

Meanwhile, outside the tent, Hinata had heard Naruto's scream and was slightly panicked. Slightly, only because she knew he could easily handle himself, but still.......

She had carefully exited her tent, making sure not to disturb her resting bunkmates. Now, she was headed straight for the tent that housed the object of her admiration. Hopefully, an answer he could offer could ease her own nerves.

She had been a bit jumpy ever since the argument two nights ago, and wanted to make sure that everyone, especially Naruto, was feeling better about it. She heard an audible sigh escaped her friend's throat. Something was definitely bugging him.

"That was such a nightmare.......thank God it was only that and nothing more." she heard him say aloud. "Maybe I should tell Hinata-chan and the others. That was the reason we arranged this mission like this in the first place. Of course, if they discover the whole truth, then they may not believe it at first." he mused to himself, unaware of her presence.

He was hiding something! Now things were finally coming to light. She stayed stationary, not risking her only chance to unearth the mysteries around her friend.

"Naruto-san, why are you talking to yourself?" she heard Nawaki asked.

"It helps clear my head sometimes. Anyway, I know the two of you aren't going back to bed, so I might as well talk with you guys." he admitted. Obito rose from his position, a slight smirk of satisfaction on his face.

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

"I know that we took this mission to test the abilities and potential of the others, but if they knew everything........." his voice trailed off, hesitant to speak further.

"If your friends really care for you – deep down in the inner most section of their hearts – they won't care about that. They also would want to help you save the world. They wouldn't let you do something so dangerous by yourself." Obito said.

Save the world!?! What in the Seven Hells was going on here?! And what does Naruto not want them to know? Hinata sat curiously outside their tent, making sure to hide her chakra signature from her friend.

"I know that. And I'm a hundred percent positive that Hinata-chan will stay by my side no matter what. The only real reason I haven't told her yet is because I don't want her to get hurt because of me." Naruto replied.

"I don't think she'd care. If they knew what was at stake, they'd help out in a heartbeat." Nawaki offered.

"I don't doubt it. But, still, it'll take time to build that trust needed to run an army smoothly. With all the tension that has built up between the group, I don't know if we can...." the blonde trailed off, deep in thoughts of his own.

"There are plenty of warriors still out there, you know. If only a few of them don't agree with you, it won't be the end of the world." Obito said.

"And if I can't convince the first warriors to join, then what? I won't be able to say I'm a leader if I'm contradicted by my subordinates at every turn. No, I need to start here and change the image I've created in my peers. I need to show them that I'm not the same, that anyone can change if they want to." Naruto said with ardent determination.

"How do you plan on doing that? Winning battle after battle? Just strength alone won't prove too much." Obito stated plainly.

"If I keep loses to a minimum, provide superior tactics and show I have the skills to back up my claims, then I'll have at least earned some respect. I hope anyway." he replied. The two boys looked at each other and nodded in silent confirmation. Nawaki reached over and grabbed his bag. Naruto, confused as to their motives, sat patiently as the young mage withdrew a medallion from within his bag.

"This is the Medallion of the Goddess. While there is only one true Kami-sama, there are plenty of other gods and goddesses that roam around. This is a blessed trinket imbued with the power of the goddess Ashunera, the Goddess of Dawn. With it, you can attain a new level of power once you reach a certain point in your training. I know it's a little cliché, but it also gives you a battle form to fight in, and this form changes as you get stronger." Nawaki explained.

"You're right, that does sound cliché. But, I guess if it works. Who am I to question the work of a goddess? How does it work, anyway?" he asked.

"Well, it begins by reading your aura – the energy you emit – and determines which of the ten attributes you are best suited as. From there, it takes into account your various strengths and weaknesses, where you need improvement and any special abilities you may possess. Then, it creates your battle form based on all this information and decides how long you have until you can promote. It's actually much more complicated than that, but even we don't know all the details." Obito explained.

"This little medallion can do all that?" Naruto asked in slight surprise. The boys chuckled at his reaction.

"You forget this is a goddess we're talking about. The divine can do many things that we mere mortals can hardly even fathom." the young Uchiha stated.

"Such as bring three deceased shinobi back to life to assist in a battle of good and evil?" the blonde suggested with a smug grin.

"Are you still dwelling on that? I thought we got past that!" Nawaki exclaimed in humor. Obito began to laugh at the memory of his friend's awkward quote from that night.

"You know, Nawaki, I'm still pretty sure most people would be disturbed if they had heard you." he offered, earning a glare from the beige haired mage.

"Changing the subject, you'd have to learn how to control the medallion's power in order to use it. Obito, Rin and I have already mastered it, though we're only in first tier." Nawaki said. Naruto took the medallion from his friend, examining it closely. It was a dark silver in color, with various strange designs etched into the metal. In the center of the medallion was a heart-shaped design, with angel wings enveloped around it. He guessed that this was the mark of Ashunera.

"Wow....it's quite a piece of work. I don't think a master blacksmith could create something so beautiful." he remarked in regard to the medallion's design.

"Ashunera takes great pride in her metal work. Being the Goddess of Dawn, she should know exactly how to create beauty." Obito replied.

"Maybe with it's power I can finally get everything going right." the blonde suggested.

"Even if we didn't show it to you, you've already proved yourself capable of handling the medallion's power." Nawaki said. Naruto shot him a confused look.

"I did? When was that?" he asked awkwardly.

"When you took out those bandits, one of them – the leader, we assumed – had no physical wound on his body. It's like he just dropped dead. The only way for that to have happened was if you had tapped into a level of power known as the Spirit's Protection." the beige-haired mage explained.

"Yes. This manifests itself as an aura around your body and the kanji of your natural element appearing on your forehead. For you, it would be 'light,' as for me it would be 'fire.'" Obito said. The strange power he had called upon during the fight with Zugu suddenly made sense.

"I see......so that's what that was." he replied understandingly.

"Sounds like you're ready to give the medallion a try." Nawaki said. Obito handed him the emblem, the aura glowing brightly in his hands.

"There is a small incantation that you must recite in order to tap into the medallion's power. It's written here on this scroll." Obito said, unraveling a scroll for him. The blonde nodded in response, clutching the medallion tightly.

"_O goddess Ashunera, hear my call. Allow your light to shine within me, and help us to vanquish the darkness. Let your radiant dawn illuminate the darkness and bring hope to your people! Lend me your strength!_" he recited. The medallion began to radiate violently, engulfing Naruto in a bright light. Obito and Nawaki shielded themselves from the blinding light.

As the light faded, suddenly Naruto's appearance had changed. He now wore a red tunic with black trimmings along his sides, part of which was dangling from the black leather belt around his waist. A yellow cape was draped around his shoulders, dropping to ankle length. He also had on white sweatpants and wore black boots embroidered with gold trimmings. To finish off the outfits, two fingerless black gloves adorned each of his hands.

"Wow....I wasn't expecting such a drastic change." Obito admitted.

"This is.....amazing. I didn't think anything like it could be possible." Naruto said in awe.

"This is the power of the divine. While light and healing magics often call upon the divine, it is often not to the caliber of what a blessed object can do." Nawaki explained.

"I guess this is just another thing I'll have to get used to. Now, uh, how do I change back?" Naruto asked.

"Just focus on changing back and you will. It's simple really." Obito said. The blonde did just that and found himself in his normal attire within seconds.

"Now then, let's get some sleep. After this discovery and what's going to happen soon, we'll need our strength." Nawaki urged. Naruto nodded in response, knowing that more assassins sent by Gato would be appearing soon. They would need to be in top condition to take them on. Last time he got lucky, not that he would admit it, and he doubted that another divine intervention would occur. With these thoughts, he rested his head on his pillow, his eyes peering out through the small opening the tent made along the ground. He could've sworn he saw someone moving along the bushes, but chalked it up to the wind and soon drifted off into slumber.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Hinata's heart wouldn't stop racing as she quietly crawled back into her tent. Was that really what Naruto-kun was hiding from her? That he was a warrior chosen to protect the world from demonic evils? And what did he mean 'to test the potential and abilities of the others?' Did he mean them? Did Kakashi-sensei know about this? Who were Obito, Rin and Nawaki in their past lives? Were they friends of Kakashi? So many questions built up in her mind that the dam was threatening to break.

"M-Maybe a walk will help me clear my head." she said to herself. She re-exited her tent, making sure not to disturb her sleeping tent-mates. Wandering through the surrounding forest, she soon found a small clearing directly under the waning crescent moon. She gazed up at it, allowing the mystic hold of the moonlight to overtake her. A gentle breeze blew through her hair, caressing her face with its compassionate currents.

Her thoughts drifted to her best friend, concern stemming from inner fears. The stress he must be feeling was such a lonely burden. She didn't want him to go through it alone.

"Goddess Ashunera......please......protect him. Protect Naruto from himself." she quietly pleaded. A bright light began to shine before her, forcing her to look forward. She gasped in awe at what she saw. A young woman with long dawn-red hair stood before her, wearing a long flowing white gown. Their eyes locked with each other: one pair in awe, the other in reverence.

"Hello, young daughter. I am Ashunera. I am pleased to meet you." the woman said. Hinata was speechless, her mouth agape. Ashunera chuckled lightly, a melodic laughter filling the air.

"I assume this is the first time you've meet a goddess? Young daughter, I am here simply because you have called out to me." she said. This caught the Hyuga girl's attention.

"You mean....what I said before?" she asked, receiving a nod from the goddess before her.

"Naruto-san has many secrets of his past that he wishes you not know. However, I'm afraid I must tell you some of those secrets if you are to have any chance of assisting him." she said.

"If it's about Kyuubi.....I already know." Hinata replied, her eyes casting a solemn gaze upon the ground. She remembered clearly the day he confided his darkest secret to her – one of the best days of her life.

(Several days prior: Konoha)

Naruto and Hinata were sitting under the shade of a large sakura tree, enjoying the peaceful breeze and serene sunlight radiating from above. They had spent the entire day together, training, going to lunch, even going for a small swim in the nearby lake.

However, something seemed to be amiss.

Naruto seemed to be having an inner conflict, making a difficult decision. She looked to him, concern etched into her gaze.

"Naruto-kun? What's wrong?" she asked. He looked at her with a sad smile. His cerulean blue eyes were beginning to water, an unknown sadness plaguing his normal cheerful demeanor.

"I....have something I need to tell you.....something that may change the way you think of me. Before I tell you, I want you to know that I care for you deeply, and that no matter what I'll always look after you." he said calmly, though his fidgeting fingers betrayed his nervousness. She sat up, prepared to listen to his confession.

"You know the story of how Kyuubi was defeated, right? How the Yondaime Hokage defeated the demon, dying in the process?" he asked. She nodded in response, not seeing what the story had to do with Naruto. "Well, it's a lie." Those words cut deep, leaving a deep open wound. The village was lying to them?

"What do you mean, Naruto-kun?" she asked, clearly confused. Naruto sucked in a deep breath, knowing there was no turning back now.

"The Yondaime couldn't defeat it. No one man could. So, he chose an infant to use as a catalyst to seal the demon within. His dying wish was that this child would been seen as the hero who tamed the Kyuubi and saved the village. Sadly, this wish was largely ignored, and the child suffered loneliness and hatred for most of his childhood. Hinata-chan, that child........" he began to lift his shirt, revealing a slim midriff. Channeling a small amount of chakra, he felt the seal appear around his navel. The startled gasp from Hinata proved that she saw it. "....was me. I am the one Yondaime used to seal the Kyuubi. His own firstborn son, Namikaze Naruto." Naruto's tears choked his words as he fell to his knees, body slumping in depression. His body shook violently in remorse.

"Hinata-chan, I'm so sorry! I didn't want to deceive you! I didn't want to abuse your trust! I didn't want you to feel like you've wasted a friendship with a monster! I understand if you don't want to talk to me again, but I want you to know that the past few years I've spent with you have been the best of my life, and that they weren't wasted." With this, he got up to leave, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Goodbye, Hinata-chan." he said to a shocked Hinata. She then did something she never thought she'd do in her life.

She smacked Naruto across the cheek.

"Baka! How could you........ever think that I'd abandon you like that!? You never abused my trust, or deceived me. You're my best friend, something I never wasted. So please, don't leave me alone! The years I've been with you have been my happiest as well! Don't take away what little we have left.....please..." she began to cry on his chest, sobbing loudly as they sank to the ground, his arms around her in a protective embrace.

"Hinata-chan.....I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you cry. I promise, I'll stand by you to the end. Even if I'm a Jinchuriki, I won't allow anyone to hurt you." he replied.

"Even if you are a Jinchuriki, I still care for you. I always will. Don't ever think if leaving me behind like that again, please. You really scared me." she said, drying her tears.

"Arigato....Hinata-chan. I told Taiyou-san when he ended up using his Atsusagan on me, so don't be afraid to talk about it around him. It was that confession that let me muster up the courage to tell you and I'm glad I did." Naruto explained, giving reason to his sudden revelation.

"I'm glad you did too....." she said, resting her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that, falling asleep in each other's embrace.

(Current Day)

Hinata looked up, a smile plastered on her face. That day was true bliss. Never had she been so bold, so emotional, so protective in her life. Ashunera smiled warmly. If the girl had stuck by him through that revelation, then she would be able to handle the truth.

"Very well then, I suppose that is one less thing I must discuss with you. I know you overheard Naruto-san's conversation with Nawaki and Obito-taichou, so I assume you have many questions you wish to have answered?" Ashunera asked.

"Yes. I want to know.....how can I help?" Hinata asked. This surprised the goddess. She was expecting the girl to drill for more information before making up her mind. Now, however, she skipped that and went straight to the whole 'let-me-help' ordeal. Ashunera smiled as she brought out a small scroll from her robes.

Hinata eyed the scroll the goddess withdrew, watching as she unfurled the parchment. She was curious as to what the scroll contained and if it was significant to the question at hand.

"This is a summoning contract. I'm sure you've heard of these before. However, this contract is special. This scroll holds the name of every pegasus knight that has ever existed. Only females can summon a pegasus. Pegasi are noble creatures that are loyal to their summoner. If you tame one, you can become a pegasus knight to help Naruto-san." she explained. Hinata looked at the scroll hopefully, a fierce will in her eyes.

"I want to help Naruto-kun! Please, Ashunera-sama, let me become a pegasus knight!" she pleaded. Ashunera unraveled the scroll along the ground, opening to the next blank space in the row.

"Sign your name in blood in the space here, then place your fingerprints underneath it. After that, you'll be able to use the **Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique) **to call forth a pegasus." she explained. Hinata bit her thumb and carefully signed her name in the space as instructed. Pressing each of her fingertips against the bleeding wound, she placed her fingerprints underneath her signature. A soft blue light was emitted from the parchment, signifying the success of the pact.

"Now, you can summon a pegasus to use in battle. Do you know the hand signs for the jutsu?" Ashunera asked.

"Yes, I remember it when we learned about it in the Academy." Hinata replied. She quickly made the seals, making sure not to miss one. She pressed her still bleeding finger to the ground, where seals appeared along the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

(The next day: Wave Village Outskirts)

The group continued to move to the village, which was only a few hours away. Hinata seemed to be very happy today for some odd reason she wouldn't disclose. She clung to Naruto's side, feeling the need to be at his side. Her sudden behavior had some among the group think it was her "time of the month."

Naruto's senses were on high alert. There was no assassination attempt in the past few days, which only meant something big was coming. He wanted to keep his guard up, just in case. Better safe than sorry. Suddenly, a chakra flare behind them sent a wave of panic through his body. Something was coming, like he predicted.

"EVERYONE GET DOWN!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, startling everyone. They all ducked, their heads just missing the buster blade flying over their heads like a boomerang. The blade lodged itself into the trunk of a tree. Just as all seemed quiet, a man appeared, balancing himself on the hilt of the sword. Kakashi seemed to recognize him from his appearance.

"You're......Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist." he stated. It wasn't a question. Zabuza smirked evilly, though they couldn't tell past the bandages around his mouth.

"I see you've done your homework. That must make you Hatake Kakashi, the Copy-Cat. I suppose that group of brats is your little hero brigade? Pity. They're gonna die at such a young age." he said. Naruto, Obito, Rin and Nawaki stepped forward from the group, drawing their weapons.

"Guys, protect Tazuna at all costs! This guy is no ordinary shinobi!" Naruto said to the others. Before anyone could utter a protest, Kakashi drew a kunai from his pouch, his body stiff and mood serious.

"Naruto is right. This is one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist and an S-Rank missing ninja. Make one false move and you're dead." he warned. Zabuza laughed at their futile attempt to protect their client.

"I hope you didn't think I'd be stupid enough to confront you all by myself. I've heard about how easily you defeated the Demon Brothers and Zugu's platoon, so I prepared my own little surprise for you all!" he announced. Suddenly, a large group of warriors jumped out from the bushes, shrouded in the mist, surrounding the young shinobi.

"I hope you don't mind us dropping in, but it's much more fun when you get to play rather than just watch." a man said, his body hidden in the mist.

"Raimen, don't get cocky. Don't forget how easily these kids defeated the others." Zabuza warned. Raimen scoffed in reply.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." he replied flippantly. Naruto looked around at the situation. His friends were surrounded by enemy units, his sensei was outnumbered by them and the three other Holy Guardians were the only ones who could help him fight. They needed more power and he knew how to get it. He just wished he could find another way.

"Naruto-san. We have to use it." Rin said to him seriously. He turned to her, a pleading expression in his eyes.

"Rin-san.....I don't know if I can......" his statement was left open to interpretation. Obito and Nawaki began to inch away from the three myrmidons ready to strike.

"We don't have a choice. Regardless of what the others think, we need to use the Spirit's Protection." Obito said. Naruto sighed in defeat. He knew he had to. Whether or not he wanted to was a different story entirely.

"I know. Let's do it." he said. His three friends nodded in response. The blonde looked up at Zabuza, a piercing glare in his eyes.

"Momochi Zabuza! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Remember it, for it'll be the name of your killer!" he announced. The demon swordsman scoffed at that. That little gaki, kill him? What a joke!

"If you're trying to insult or intimidate me, you'll have to do better than that." he replied. Naruto adopted a sly smirk, gripping his rapier as he did so.

"Oh don't worry. I will." he replied. Suddenly, four bright bursts of light covered the field, blinding all who gazed upon it. Confusion descended upon the field as four different voices called out.

"Lion's Inferno! Transform!" Obito called. In a burst of fire, his outfit changed. He now wore a black sweat outfit, the sleeves of his shirt cut short, with black bands around his wrists. A dark orange leather breastplate was around his chest, the straps going around his shoulders. Two brown shoulder pads kept them in place, with a pair of black boots finishing the outfit.

"Lightning Rose! Transform!" Rin called. An electric current engulfed her body, morphing her outfit to something new. Now, she wore a light violet skirt that covered her thighs and a short-sleeved coat of the same hue over a white undershirt. She had white knee high boots and fingerless gloves made of leather.

"Holy Tempest! Transform!" Nawaki called. Wind currents surrounded his body, changing his outfit as well. His appearance was similar to his previous apparel, though now his tunic was replaced by teal hued robes. He wore a pair of black shorts and boots, though they were hidden under his sea-green cape, which was embellished with gold trimmings. Black battle gloves adorned his hands, where he cradled his wind tome with care.

"Light of Heaven! Transform!" Naruto called. In a bright burst of light, Naruto transformed into his new battle form, the same he assumed the previous night. His cape billowing in the breeze, he stepped between himself and the three warriors beside him.

"I am Uzumaki Naruto, the Light of Heaven and leader of the Holy Guardians against Lord Daimon and his twisted ambition. If you intend on impeding our noble work, then prepare to be punished." he said, his tone more serious and deadly than before.

"I am Uchiha Obito, known as the Lion's Inferno. Face of evil, prepare to receive your judgment." Obito said.

"I am Haruno Rin, known as Lightning Rose. May defeat strike you quick and true." Rin said.

"I am Senju Nawaki, known as Holy Tempest. The winds of justice shall expose those with wicked hearts." Nawaki said. The other Genin stared in shock at the sudden transformation and revelations. Sasuke's jaw was having trouble lifting itself from the ground upon hearing Obito's full name, while Sakura was in a similar situation over Rin. Hinata couldn't help but feel proud of Naruto. _'He looks so gallant.....'_ she thought.

"A little costume change isn't going to help you beat me, you little punk! How about I give you a taste of my blade? Raimen, you can take care of those little brats and the bridge builder, right?" Zabuza asked. The sage nodded in response.

"Don't worry, they'll be dead in the next ten minutes." he said, lightning cackling to life in his hands. Nawaki opened his tome, chanting the familiar words as Raimen unleashed a fierce lightning blast at the Genin. His subordinates jumped away from the blast, leaving the targets exposed.

"Everyone! Watch out! Here it comes!" Kiba shouted as they braced for impact. However, the impact never came. The Genin looked up to see Nawaki holding back the massive lightning blast with one spell.

"**Kijutsu: Kaze Shiirudo (Magic: Wind Shield)!**" he called. The winds and lightning canceled each other out, both techniques fading into oblivion. Raimen grit his teeth in frustration. That was no ordinary spell. His attack was completely worthless against it. No kid that young should be able to conjure a spell so powerful.

Rin saw her chance and suddenly jumped into the air. Twirling her butterfly swords in her palms, she landed between Sakura and a myrmidon. Charing her blades with electricity, she cleaved through the myrmidon's side, blood pouring from his wound.

"**Raiton: Tenrai no Ken (Lighting Style: Blades of Thunder)!**" she called. Her target fell to the ground, his wound too deep for him to fight. Rin pivoted on her foot, dodging the blade of an axe that would've chopped her in two. She thrust her left-handed sword forward, stabbing the fighter in the chest before pulling the blade back. He fell forward dead.

Obito charged at Zabuza, who raised his sword in defense. Without warning, the Uchiha's sword caught fire, extending the blade's length by five centimeters. Zabuza's eyes widened as the flaming blade clashed with his own grand sized one. The young boy smirked victoriously as he looked up.

"Naruto-san, now!" he shouted. The swordsman felt a presence appear behind him, releasing it was Naruto. The blonde held a glowing harpoon in his hand, apparently for his attack.

"Awai Mori!" he called out. He threw the harpoon at Zabuza's chest with amazing speed, threating to kill. However, the older shinobi was not about to go down that easily. He knocked Obito away, then jumped above the light harpoon, the attack slicing a tree in twain. Naruto looked up in shock as Zabuza came down from above, his buster blade raised to strike. He flipped back, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Hinata watched at the four fought around them, giving it their all. She clenched her fist in anger. Not at her enemies, but at herself. She was just standing there doing nothing while her friends put everything on the line to save them. She was not a Cinderella. She did not need to be protected. Instead, she wanted to do the protecting. Bitting down on her thumb, she performed a quick series of hand seals.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" she called out, startling her friends. She slammed her hand on the ground and a cloud of smoke engulfed her.

"H-Hinata! What the heck are you doing?!" Kiba asked in concern.

"Kuchiyose? The summoning technique? She knows it?" Ino asked. Suddenly, a figure shot out from the smoke and into the sky, a trail of vapor following behind. As the vapor cleared, the warriors below could plainly see the Hyuga heiress atop a pegasus, her lance in her hand and prepared to fight. The majestic beast let out a loud whinny, almost like a war cry, as it flew down towards its unbelieving targets. Hinata let out a battle cry as she plunged her lance into the chest of a myrmidon, killing him effectively. Her pegasus galloping along the ground, she stabbed the second in the shoulder blade, paralyzing his arm with the blow. She turned to Nawaki, who was in shock that she was a pegasus knight.

"Nawaki-san! Leave these guys to me! Focus on fighting the sage and protecting Tazuna-san!" she said. He nodded in response, preparing to fight Raimen once again. That's when he got a glimpse of her outfit. She was wearing a light blue skirt that doubled as a shirt, with long white gloves and boots common to pegasus knights. She even had the standard white breastplate around her chest. However, a major difference in her outfit was the golden necklace around her neck. Not many pegasus knights wore jewelry, especially anything that expensive. But, it wasn't that fact that confused Nawaki. It was the fact that Hinata never had it before.

Zabuza's eyes widened at the appearance of a pegasus on the battlefield. This was becoming a day full of surprises and strange occurrences. No wonder these kids beat those other guys so easily. They weren't normal. Obito saw that his enemy was distracted and took his chance. Flames erupted from his palms, dancing around his body as he shot his arm forward.

**"Katon: Sasu Homura (Fire Style: Shine Blaze)!"** he called. The flames raced towards Zabuza, engulfing him in a torrent of searing heat. The missing-nin was sent flying back into the lake beside them, a loud splash ringing out. Kakashi was in shock that they were able to stand up to Zabuza the way they were.

"Guys, c'mon! If they're all fighting, then so should we! We may not have special powers or mystic summons, but we're shinobi too! Let's show them what we got!" Taiyou announced, drawing his sword. Natoyo arched her bow, looking for an opening to strike. Shikamaru separated his bow into twin swords, prepared to fight off the oncoming enemies. Shino stepped back a bit, putting distance between himself and the enemy so he could cast his spells. Everyone else got ready for battle as well, ready to fight to protect their client – and each other.

Naruto, Obito and Kakashi watched as Zabuza emerged from the water, drenched and highly pissed off. He gripped the hilt of his sword, craving the blood of the two young boys. He shot out of the water at incredible speeds, knocking Obito and Naruto away with a single swipe of his arm. Their opponent breezed through a series of hand seals.

"Time for you to die! **Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu (Water Style: Water Dragon Projectile Technique)!**" Zabuza called. A large dragon made of water emerged from the lake behind him, its large maw agape. It came down towards the two boys, prepared to crunch down on them. Naruto put his hands together, light radiating softly in his palms.

"**Gaikouken (Light Ray Blades)!**" he called. Many small blades of light shot from his palms at high speeds. Obito could see the whiplash from the attack. The blades sliced through the watery dragon, its final roar of pain echoing through the air. Zabuza could only stare as his dragon dispersed in an array of water. However, he could see the blonde was clearly tired after the attack._ 'Time to take them out with one more move.'_ he thought, smirking smugly. Flashing through hand seals, he summoned a large spiraling torrent of water that engulfed Naruto and Obito within a matter of seconds.

"Naruto! Obito!" Kakashi called out. Seeing that his student and friend were in danger, he finally decided to get in on the fight. Revealing his Sharingan eye, he copied the technique Zabuza had just used and used it against him. The Kiri swordsman dodged the attack, only to be meet with a volley of kunai from the Konoha Jonin. He used his buster blade to block the attack, hearing the metal weapons clang against each other. Kakashi glared at him intensely.

"From here out, I'm your opponent." he said seriously.

(Meanwhile)

The last of the enemy fell, with only Raimen himself remaining. Nawaki was locked in a duel of magical proportions, wind and lightning shooting out from all directions. His attention was focused solely on his enemy, who decided it would be best to take advantage of that concentration.

"**Kijutsu: Tsuin Shuurai (Magic: Twin Lightning Strike)!**" he called. Two large bolts of lightning shot from his hands. One collided with Nawaki's wall of wind, dispelling it. However, the second hit the others, unaware of the attack until it was too late. Their cries of pain broke the beige haired boy's concentration, allowing Raimen to strike him with a spell while his guard was down.

Hinata's pegasus disappeared in a puff of smoke, being wounded by the attack and forced to rest. She herself was fairing no better. The lightning attack was strong enough to knock them all to the ground in shock, some even too paralyzed to move. None of them knew healing techniques, so they were pretty much screwed. Raimen scoffed at the children he had struck down.

"It's a shame. You were all valiant warriors, but I guess I'll have to kill you all now. You would've made great shinobi later in life." he said, his tome glowing forebodingly. _'I guess.....this is it for us....'_ Hinata thought.

(Meanwhile)

Naruto looked at the ground with half closed eyes. Obito was knocked unconscious by that last attack, and he was going to join him soon. When he looked to his right, however, he saw Raimen about to kill the others with a single attack, probably his strongest. He clenched his fist as he felt a strange power radiate from inside himself. _'No.....I cannot.....let them die. I cannot lose here. _We_ cannot lost here!'_ he chided himself. Forcing himself to stand, he closed his eyes in concentration. A bright light coated the area, startling Raimen long enough for Naruto to say the incantation. He didn't quite know how he knew it, but he wasn't complaining.

_"O light of Dawn, Goddess of love and hope, hear my plea! She who guides the distraught souls of the dead to bask in the light of heaven, lend us your strength! Ashunera!" _

The medallion within Obito's bag began to glow violently. It suddenly appeared in between Naruto and his friends.

"Warriors of light and peace, I have heard your plea. I grant you my power of life to protect this world from the evils of darkness. Now, stand and know your destiny!" Ashunera's voice rang out. The light enveloped the fallen warriors, glowing brightly as they regained the strength to stand. Obito's eyes flashed open, the light stirring him from his slumber.

"What....is this power?" Natoyo asked, feeling the warm glow on her skin.

"I'm......not sure." Taiyou answered.

"I think....we've been blessed by a goddess." Shikamaru said in wonder.

"Naruto, how did you do this?" Sakura asked. The blonde didn't answer her question: rather, he was smiling brightly as he stood amongst his friends, the kanji for 'light' appearing on his forehead. Obito, Rin and Nawaki walked beside him, the four staring down Raimen. The kanji for 'fire,' 'lightning,' and 'wind' were glowing on their foreheads respectively. Hinata, still in her pegasus knight garments, stood next to him as well. The kanji for 'ice' glowed lightly on her forehead.

"What is this power?!" Raimen asked as the five shinobi prepared their attack. Light gathered around Naruto's sword as he held it at a ready position.

"Iku ze, minna!" he called.

"**Katon: Ga no Ryuujin (Fire Style: Claw of the Dragon God)!**" Obito called. A giant claw composed of massive flames appeared from below Raimen, who jumped up to avoid it. Rin smirked as she saw her open target.

"**Raiton: Ikari no Thor (Lightning Style: Wrath of Thor)!**" she called. Several lightning bolts rained down from above, striking Raimen and driving him into the ground. Nawaki slammed his palms together, focusing his energy into his spell.

"**Kijutsu: Shippu Ookaze (Magic: Hurricane Gale)!**" he called. Strong whips of wind slammed into Raimen's descending form, knocking him into the distance. Hinata charged forward, focusing chakra in her arms. They began to glow as she released her technique.

"**Hyoton: Hyouchuu (Ice Style: Ice Pillar)!**" she called. Icicles sprung up from the ground, ramming into the sage with great force. He cried out in pain as he rolled down the side of the pillar she had summoned. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto prepared his attack.

"**Kogane Enko!**" he called. The blade of light flew through the air and sliced clean through Raimen's abdomen. Blood leaked from the wound as the sage fell to the ground, never to rise again. His eyes held the stare of death. Naruto and the others reverted to their original forms, breathing hard.

"We did it...." he said breathlessly. The other Genin stared in shock at this sudden display of power. Sasuke was the most in shock. The last-place loser of his class, the nobody with no skill, was able to become so powerful within such a short time? Exactly what was he capable of?

"Naruto, I think you have some explaining to do." Natoyo said, getting everyone's attention.

"Yeah! You owe us an explanation! So, start spilling!" Kiba demanded. Naruto glared at him harshly, quieting the boy's outburst.

"And why should I?" he asked coldly. Taiyou, being bold, stepped up towards him.

"Because, like it or not, we're your friends and we have a right to know. Friends shouldn't tell secrets unless they're important. Right now, this is important and we have to know what we're dealing with here. You know." he explained, the seriousness in his eyes adding to his effectiveness. Naruto sighed in defeat.

"Fine. I'll tell you, but I don't have to like it." he admitted. Taiyou smiled as he slipped his sword back into the scabbard.

"No one said you had to be." he replied.

(Meanwhile)

Zabuza looked at the pillar of ice that had just sprouted from the ground. He grit his teeth in frustration. It would be best to retreat for now. He looked to Kakashi, who was glaring at him with his Sharingan eye.

"Looks like you get to live for now, Sharingan no Kakashi. I have other business I must attend to. Goodbye, for now." he said. Before Kakashi could attack, he disappeared into the mist. The Konoha Jonin cursed under his breath. _'Damn, he got away. I better go check on the others.'_ he thought. He quickly traveled to the spot where his students were last.

He was shocked at what he saw.

Bodies of dead mercenaries lay scattered about as Raimen's corpse fell to the ground after being hit by Naruto's attack. The five transformed teens reverted back as the Genin attempted to elicit an answer from the blonde. Taiyou managed to convince him to talk. Kakashi smiled slightly under his mask. Maybe Naruto would learn that you don't have to go alone. Someday....

(A few moments later: Campsite)

The group sat in fervid anticipation of Naruto's explanation. They wondered what he could possibly be hiding from them. The blonde had obvious concerns with revealing his secrets, but he knew it had to be done. _'It was bound to happen sooner or later. I guess I was hoping it would be later.'_ he mentally mused. With a sigh, he began.

"This whole mess started a little over a week ago, when I met Obito, Rin and Nawaki. They are previously deceased shinobi of Konoha who were chosen to serve as divine protectors against evil forces. They are known as the Holy Guard, and they came in search of me to inform me that I was chosen to fight alongside them against a man named Lord Daimon, who wishes to conquer the known world.

The fight against Daimon and his allies will not be an easy task. Knowing this, the gods and goddesses had chosen warriors before their births to combat them. The reason this mission has so many Genin is to test your potential as members of the Holy Guard." he explained.

"Wait a minute! You mean you've lied to us about this mission in order to test our strength?" Ino asked, summing up Naruto's explanation.

"Once I discovered Lord Daimon's plot, I knew I couldn't hide my true personality behind a mask anymore. Subordinates cannot trust a leader who cannot trust himself. So, for the past few days, you've been getting glimpses of the real Uzumaki Naruto." he admitted.

"To stop Lord Daimon, we need to find the Chosen Warriors, who are spread throughout the world. Once we find them, we must expose them to the power of this medallion and awaken their latent abilities. When that's done, we'll be able to stop Lord Daimon and his ambitions." Obito said. The medallion was clutched in his fist.

"The last fight had judged you all worthy of being Holy Guards for your valor and determination. This may be sudden, but we need all of you to help us. We're fighting to save the world and we can't do it alone." Rin said.

"I have a question. Why was Naruto chosen to lead us all out of so many other people?" Shikamaru asked. Naruto mentally cursed the Nara's tactical point-of-view.

"It's because he is capable of things that you cannot ever hope to do." Nawaki replied. Sasuke became infuriated at the implications.

"Are you trying to say that he's better than we are because he has some special powers?" he asked threateningly. Suddenly, a beam of light shot past his cheek, cutting it slightly. His eyes were widen in surprise as Naruto glared at him in rage.

"Sit down and shut up, Uchiha! No one said I _wanted_ the power he's talking about anyway! If you knew what it was, you wouldn't want it either!" he demanded.

"What power?" Sakura asked, a little frightened of the answer. Naruto turned away from the group, a pained look on his face. He knew it. He knew he was going to say too much. Damn that big mouth of his! His mood was quickly deteriorating.

"Twelve years ago......the Kyuubi attacked Konoha, killing thousands of people, civilian and shinobi alike. The Yondaime Hokage managed to kill it at the cost of his own life....or so you've all been told." he began. Taiyou realized what Naruto was about to do and stayed silent. '_Naruto......you need to do this_.' he thought.

"W-What do you mean?" Natoyo asked. The idea that the Kyuubi could still be alive and out somewhere sent shivers down her spine. What if it attacked Konoha again? She didn't want to lose anybody to a demon like that.

"A Bijuu of Kyuubi's strength cannot simply be killed by ordinary means. In exchange of his own life, the Yondaime sealed it away into the body of a newborn infant, forever branding him with the mark of a savior and a martyr. This boy would grow up to be rejected and abused by the very village he protects, never knowing why until he finally found out. The night Mizuki tried to steal the scroll was the night it happened." He turned to face the group, revealing his exposed midriff. Focusing his chakra, he felt the seal appear around his navel. He heard the gasps of surprise from his friends, taking it as permission to continue.

"I am the one Yondaime sealed Kyuubi into. I am the one who protects the village – and the world – from its wrath. I am the one scorn by those he protects. I am Uzumaki Naruto – Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune." he stated, in a queer mixture of sadness and pride. Silence rained over the group for what felt like hours. A small sound broke the silence. It started weak, but quickly grew louder in audacity. The sound was Taiyou's clapping. He was applauding his friend.

"You've finally accepted yourself. All this time you've been upset and worried about what would happen if you had to spill your secrets to the people you feared the most. But, now that you've done it, it'll be better. Like I told you before, I'm always on your side." he said, smiling happily. Suddenly, his clapping was joined by Obito, Rin and Nawaki, who all smiled and nodded in Naruto's direction. Hinata quickly joined in the applause, supporting her best friend. Natoyo stood up, clapping along with the others. Stopping momentarily, she gave a thumbs-up to the blonde before clapping again.

"You're not alone in this Naruto-kun. You have us too. We'll help you against Lord Daimon. A man like that must be stopped. Besides, you'd be crazy if you thought we'd let you do this alone." Hinata said in determination. Naruto smiled and nodded at her.

"You better include me on that boat!" Kiba said, startling everyone with his outburst.

"Kiba? What are you-" Naruto's inquiry was cut off by Kiba's fist slamming down on his head. "Ow! What the hell did you do that for?!" he asked in anger.

"For not telling me this earlier, baka! Jeez, you think you know a guy. I honestly don't care about Kyuubi. As long as he's in there and you're out here, that's all that matters." he remarked. Naruto smiled at his friend's sincerity.

"Thanks Kiba." he said. The Inuzuka wiped his finger under his nose, grinning a wide grin.

"Now now, no sentimental stuff, got it? Vent on the battlefield if you have to." he said, flexing his arm muscles. Akamaru barked in agreed with his master.

"I-I'm helping too! No way am I gonna let my own teammate face a life-and-death situation without me!" Sakura said, standing up with the others.

"Sakura-chan......" Naruto muttered in shock. He wasn't expecting his teammate to join him so easily.

`"You can't change my mind, Naruto. I'm tired of always being the one protected when I should be the one protecting! Now the world is in danger and there's no way in hell that I'm letting him do as he wants!" she replied with strong vigor.

"I hate to admit it, but you've gotten a lot stronger than I ever expected. I guess that I have to keep up with you. That and I can't exactly let a friend go out and get himself killed cause I'm not there." Shikamaru said with a smile at his own remark.

"I, too, wish to assist you in your cause. Those of evil hearts cannot be allowed to roam free." Shino said, standing up with the others.

"If you think I'm being left out, then you're crazy! Kyuubi or no Kyuubi, there's no way I wanna lose to you Naruto!" Ino said, jumping up in excitement.

"Like I said before, I've changed too, but I don't think I've proved it yet. Anyone who messes with my pals has to deal with me!" Chouji said, standing from the ground and joining the others. The only one remaining was Sasuke. The group waited for his response. After a moment, they realized what his decision was.

"You know, Sasuke, I really pity you." Naruto said, getting the Uchiha's attention. "You think your life is so damn tough. That no one could possibly have it worse than you. Well, guess what? My life has been just as tough, probably worse! At least you've had a family! I never had one! You've always been loved, either by your family or your village, who you'd sooner betray if it meant getting your vengeance!" He grabbed Sasuke by his collar, glaring at him with crimson eyes. "And now you're not willing to work with your comrades because of the idea they may be _stronger_ than you? I don't see how you were even considered to be a Holy Guardian when you don't know the first thing about teamwork or friendship! That's why I pity you! You better get that stick outta your ass before you find your stomach on the end of a blade! The world doesn't revolve around you, Sasuke, and the sooner you learn to see other peoples' suffering, the sooner you'll learn exactly what I'm talking about!" With his spiel finished, he threw the Uchiha to the ground. The ebony haired boy glared at his teammate before scoffing at them all and walking the other way.

"Naruto, don't you think that was a little......harsh?" Chouji asked. The blonde stubbornly shook his head.

"If he wants to play the avenger, then let him. I can't help those who can't help themselves." he replied.

"You can't give up on those who need help either." Obito reminded him.

"Who said I abandoned him? He's the only one who can help himself." Naruto said.

"What if he can't?" Shikamaru asked, knowing Naruto's meaning. The blonde sighed in disappointment.

"If he can't, then he's doomed. You cannot live in this world by yourself. Even the most corrupt of hearts know this. If Sasuke can't learn that lesson, then he'll never be able to fulfill his duties as a shinobi." he explained. Sakura looked in the direction Sasuke disappeared in. Before she could take a step, Ino put a hand on her shoulder. When she turned to her, she shook her head. Understanding her meaning, Sakura stayed where she was, though still glanced into the distance.

"I guess the gods made the wrong choice with him." Obito said dejectedly as the group prepared to set up camp. Sakura looked away from Sasuke's direction, turning her attention to the campsite. '_Oh Sasuke-kun......_' she thought in depression.

"Hey Sakura! Can you help me with the fire?" Ino asked her, snapping her from her thoughts.

"R-Right, coming!" she replied, running over to her friend. Her thoughts remained on the fate of a certain Uchiha boy. When did this all become so complicated?

(Later: Campsite)

Naruto was fast asleep in his tent, having used a lot of chakra during the earlier fight. Kakashi was also resting, with Tazuna making sure that he would be okay through the night. The Genin took the opportunity to converse amongst each other. Sasuke was not present at their "meeting."

"What do you guys think about all this? I mean, it's not everyday you're joining an army to save the world." Taiyou said.

"This could be a real growing experience for everyone. I know the battles won't be easy, but if we've got each other, then we should be find." Natoyo responded.

"I still can't believe Sasuke's attitude towards Naruto. He has some issues he needs to work out." Kiba remarked.

"Yeah, seriously. Just because you're a good fighter doesn't make you king of the world." Chouji agreed.

"I believe it would be prudent to agree that Sasuke's egotistic attitude towards our comrade is both childish and inane." Shino said, eliciting agreements from the rest of the group.

"I, for one, am completely excited about using these new abilities we have! I wonder what elemental affinity we all are? I was told mine is Light." Ino said.

"If I remember correctly, Naruto is also Light. Obito, Sakura, Natoyo-chan and myself are all Fire elementals. Shino and Shikamaru were Dark elementals and Chouji is a Water elemental. Nawaki-san is a Wind elemental while Rin-san is a Lightning elemental. Kiba is an Earth elemental and Hinata-chan is an Ice elemental. I think that's everyone." Taiyou recited. Everyone agreed that his explanation was correct.

"We are so gonna kick some ass! When Zabuza comes back, he better have an army with him, cause he won't stand a chance!" the Yamanaka girl said, demonstrating her kick-boxing skills.

"I'm just glad you all finally accepted Naruto-kun for who he is rather than what you thought he was." Hinata said in relief.

"You know, Hinata-chan, I'm glad too. We're finally getting to know a really great person for who he really is." Chouji said.

"He's still a twerp though." Kiba said, reclining back to gaze at the stars overhead.

"From you, that's a compliment, Kiba." Hinata said with a giggle. She lied back like her teammate, sighing at the romantic sight before her. Everyone soon followed suit, enjoying the sight under the stars.

"This is wonderful. Things are finally starting to look up for everyone, especially Naruto-kun. This is the beginning to something beautiful." Hinata said. Sakura sat up for a moment, confronting the group.

"When we get back, we're going to celebrate! Naruto and the others are invited of course. We'll celebrate the end of our old lives and the beginning of our new ones." she said happily.

"That's a great idea, Sakura-chan!" Natoyo said, giving her friend a high-five. _'Sakura's changed a lot too. She doesn't follow Sasuke around like a puppy anymore. She's learning to speak for herself.'_ Hinata thought as the pink-haired girl sat back down.

"I wish things could always be this peaceful." Taiyou mused.

"That would be nice, and a lot less troublesome." Shikamaru agreed.

"I can't think of anything that could top this. Just hanging out with my friends under the stars, enjoying everything for what it is. You can't put a price on that." Natoyo said. A gentle wind blew through the area, caressing their faces with its breeze. Leaves danced through the air, the wind its partner. The young teens watched, mystified, as they seemed to dance to a ballet around them. They burst into laughter, even though there was nothing to laugh at.

From a distance, Sasuke looked over the scene as he contemplated Naruto's earlier words. What did he know, anyway? So he had Kyuubi sealed into him from birth. Big deal. It was far worse to have everyone you loved taken from you – by the person you looked up to the most. He turned away from the scene before him, walking into the darkness of the night.

Obito sat in a tree above the group, out of sight and range of their senses. He smiled happily at their happiness. It was such a great change of pace to see something happy and joyful in times of violence and uncertainty.

"You wanna go down there with them?" a voice asked him. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was who spoke.

"It would be nice, Rin, but I would feel like I'm intruding." he replied. Rin sat down next to him, crouching on her knees.

"Don't forget, they see us as friends. They would probably welcome us to join." she urged him gently. The young Uchiha took it into consideration.

"Well.....it would be fun." he said, grinning slightly. Rin smiled in return, happy that her friend was still his old self, even after everything that had happened.

"Great! C'mon you two, let's get going!" Nawaki said, emerging from his hiding spot in the bushes. He startled the two, who just began laughing in return.

"Okay, okay, okay! We'll go, we'll go!" Obito relented laughing, causing the beige-haired mage to jump in excitement. He jumped down from the branches to join his friends, leaving the two alone again. Rin smiled and lightly pecked Obito on the cheek, causing him to blush lightly. Giggling, she jumped down and followed Nawaki, leaving a stunned Uchiha behind. Regaining his bearings, he followed his old teammate to join the others in their night out.

(A few moments later: Campsite)

Naruto's eyes slowly blinked open, adjusting to the lack of light in his tent. He noticed that Obito and Nawaki weren't in their sleeping bags. He knew that he had to rest because he used a lot of chakra, but he felt much better at the moment. Deciding it would be better to see what was going on, he left his tent. It didn't take long for him to find the others under the large sakura tree, talking and joking like best friends. Sakura saw him and smiled.

"Hey Naruto! C'mon over!" she called him. He jogged up the hill to meet them, who all greeted him happily.

"We're having a bit of a night out. We didn't want to wake you since you used a lot of chakra before and needed rest." Obito admitted bashfully. Naruto nodded in understanding.

"I get it, it's fine. Just wake me up next time!" he said, sitting alongside the others under the tree. He caught the tail end of Ino's joke, which caused Chouji and Kiba to burst into laughter.

"That's great, Ino!" Kiba exclaimed in laughter to the giggling blonde. Shino and Taiyou were playing 20 Questions, with Taiyou asking the questions.

"Okay, um, is it a living thing?" he asked. Shino shook his head, making the bluenette snap his fingers in frustration.

"Damn. Is is something you'd find in your household?" he asked. The Aburame nodded in response.

"Yes, finally! Okay, let's see......it's not edible, not natural, not alive and something you'd find in your house......do you use it to perform a specific task?" he asked.

"Yes you do." Shino replied. Taiyou thought for a moment before continuing.

"Is it in the kitchen?" he asked. Shino shook his head in response. "The bathroom?" Taiyou asked again, to which Shino nodded. The Mokushi heir thought for a moment before snapping his fingers in inspiration.

"I got it! A razor!" he exclaimed in victory. Shino smiled slightly under his hood.

"You got it." he said, causing the boy to jump up in victory.

"Yatta! I won!" he exclaimed. Naruto laughed at the boy's antics.

"Hey Naruto! C'mon, we're gonna start the singing competition!" Nawaki said, calling the blonde over.

"Singing competition? At this time of night?" Naruto asked, questioning the practicality of the event.

"Ah we're just having fun. Besides, its just the chorus of the songs." the young mage replied. Naruto shrugged in response, deciding it would be fun.

"Whose going first?" Kiba asked, looking around at the people around him.

"I'll go!" Sakura volunteered, raising her hand for an added effect. She stepped into the middle of the circle, clearing her throat slightly. Then, she began to sing the chorus to her song.

_'Why did I let you go_

_You're too good to be true_

_I messed it up now I don't know what to do_

_We ran in circles and wasted time_

_From right to wrong_

_From right to wrong_

_If I knew that you were mine_

_I wouldn't have wasted time_

_I wish I could erase the past_

_Now it's all collapsed_

_In my lap'_

"Go Sakura-chan!" Ino shouted as her friend finished. She earned a round of applause for her performance. Natoyo turned to the rest of the group.

"Okay, whose next?" she asked.

"I think Naruto should go next!" Ino said, grinning evilly.

"What?! W-Wait a minute...." Naruto tried to protest.

"Yeah, c'mon Naruto! You can do it!" Kiba urged him. Hinata giggled lightly as she consoled her friend.

"It'll be fine. It's just for fun, after all." she said encouragingly. He nodded in defeat. He stepped in the center of the circle and cleared his throat.

'_Cause when push comes to shove_

_You taste what you're made of_

_You might bend til you break_

_Cause its all you can take_

_On your knees you look up_

_Decide you've had enough_

_You get mad, you get strong_

_Wipe your hands, shake it off_

_Then you stand_

_Then you stand' _

His friends roared in applause as he finished his chorus.

"That was amazing Naruto! I didn't know you were such a great singer!" Sakura said in surprise. He smiled sheepishly.

"To be honest, I didn't know myself." he admitted.

"Well, now you do. C'mon everyone! The night's still young and we've got energy to burn! Let's party!" she exclaimed, receiving a chorus of "yeahs" in return. Naruto laughed in joy as he joined his friends in the remainder of the contest.

(The next morning: Campsite)

Kakashi awoke early the next morning. The use of his Sharingan had taken quite a bit of energy and chakra, but he was feeling better now. He decided it would be best to check on his younger companions. Making sure not to disturb Tazuna, he exited his tent to find almost the entire group asleep under the shade of a giant sakura tree. His eyebrows rose in surprise at this discovery. Apparently, they were doing some friendly bonding the night before. He surely didn't miss the contented smiles on each of their faces.

**I am so sorry that this took so long to come out, but writer's block plagued me for a long while, and midterms were a pain. Anyway, here's chapter 3 (only 3?!) of "The Leaf's Emblem" AKA "The Plight of the Leaf." This chapter is important for obvious reasons, and I couldn't resist those friendly moments at the end. Too much angst is not a good thing. What will happen when Zabuza returns? Will Sasuke learn to overcome his ego? How will the others react to their new powers? And why is the town they arrive in dirt poor? The answers to these questions and more await in chapter 4, which I swear by all that is holy will not take 4 months to come out. For those of you who were wondering, Sakura's chorus was "Collapse" by Aly and AJ, while Naruto's was "Stand" by Rascal Flatts. Ja Ne!**


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